A new myxosporidan, Dicauda atherinodi n.g., n. sp. of the minnow, Notropis atherinoides Rafinesque

Abstract

. Dicauda atherinoidi n.g., n. sp. (Protozoa: Myxosporida) was found in feral minnows, Notropis atherinoides (Cyprinidae), from western Lake Erie (Sterling State Park), Michigan, and the lower Mohawk and Hudson Rivers, New York. Dicauda, closely related to Myxobolus, differs from it in having two, occasionally three or more, rigid tail‐like possibly mucoid appendages attached to the sutural ridge. The cysts are subdermal and most abundant on the head. Histological damage is not striking.

New host record and molecular characterization of Dicauda atherinoidiHoffman & Walker (Bivalvulida: Myxobolidae): a parasite of the emerald shinerNotropis atherinoidesRafinesque, 1818 and mimic shinerNotropis vollucellusCope, 1865

“…The length of the caudal processes ranged from 5.3 to 68.3 (31.1 ± 13.6), and the angle between them ranged from 93.1 to 174.5° (133.3 ± 17.6). When compared to the morphological descriptions of other myxobolids, it became clear that the myxozoan of this study was highly similar to the morphological description of D. atherinoidi given by Hoffman & Walker (; Table ), whereby the only noticeable difference from the original description was caudal process length (31.1 in current study versus 49.0); however, these ranges overlapped.…”

“…Myxospores within these plasmodia were morphologically similar to Myxobolus , but differed by the presence of two (occasionally three) rigid caudal appendages attached to the sutural ridge on opposing ends of the myxospore body. This spore morphology was suggestive of the genus Dicauda (Family Myxobolidae), which is represented only by the type species, Dicauda atherinoidi Hoffman & Walker ;. This parasite was originally described in emerald shiners collected from Lake Erie, Michigan, USA, the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers, New York, USA (Hoffman & Walker ), and the Allouez Bay of the St. Louis River in Wisconsin, USA (Horner et al .…”

“…This spore morphology was suggestive of the genus Dicauda (Family Myxobolidae), which is represented only by the type species, Dicauda atherinoidi Hoffman & Walker ;. This parasite was originally described in emerald shiners collected from Lake Erie, Michigan, USA, the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers, New York, USA (Hoffman & Walker ), and the Allouez Bay of the St. Louis River in Wisconsin, USA (Horner et al . ).…”

“…). Currently, the genus is classified as a member of the family Myxobolidae based on morphological characteristics alone; however, its phylogeny has not been confirmed molecularly (Hoffman & Walker ; Fiala et al . ).…”

Infections of Unicauda clavicauda (Kudo, 1934) (Myxozoa) in the skin of Notropis hudsonius (Cyprinidae) from Montana, with a synopsis of the genus Unicauda Davis, 1944

“…We know it dissolves in hydrochloric acid, stains rose-red or pink with Giemsa and with Delafield hematoxylin, stains blue-grey with Lugol's iodine, and is rendered invisible in balsam-mounted histological sections (Kudo 1934, Minchew 1981. The appendage resembles most closely the two, rigid appendages of Dicauda Hoffman et Walker, 1978, which are thought to be modified mucous envelopes present in various degrees of development in other myxobolids (Hoffman and Walker 1978). How the appendages are formed into specific shapes and sizes remains a mystery.…”