Zschokkella egyptica n. sp. (Myxosporea: Bivalvulaida) infecting the gallbladder of the eel catfish Plotosus lineatus Thunberg, 1787 and the freckled goatfish Upeneus tragula Richardson, 1846 in the Red Sea, Egypt

Abstract

A new myxosporean, Zschokkella egyptica n. sp. was found in the gallbladder of two hosts: the eel catfish Plotosus lineatus and the freckled goat fish Upeneus tragula from the Red Sea at Suez City, Egypt. The plasmodia were polysporic, kidney to elliptical shaped with hairy holdfast projection and measured 109 x 70 microm. Mature spores were fusiform with 9 to 11 longitudinal striations. The mean spore dimensions were 13.0 x 10.5 microm. Spherical polar capsules are 4.8 microm in diameter; the polar filament showed four turns and were arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the capsule.