Myxidium lesminteri n. sp. (Myxosporea: Myxidiidae) from the gall-bladder of three southern African Anura

Abstract

During 1988 and 1989 409 specimens, representing 50 species in 9 families of southern African Anura from 26 localities throughout the Republic of South Africa and from Swaziland, were examined for gallbladder myxozoans. Myxidium lesminteri n. sp. was the only myxozoan found and was observed in one Tomopterna krugerensis (Ranidae), one Bufo garmani (Bufonidae) and one Heleophryne natalensis (Heleophrynidae), all from Transvaal. The spore of Myxidium lesminteri (9.5-15.0 x 5.0-8.0 Ixm) is characterised by a smooth shell devoid of striations but has one longitudinal ridge.

New species of Myxosporea from frogs and resurrection of the genus Cystodiscus Lutz, 1889 for species with myxospores in gallbladders of amphibians

“…Type material: SEM stub with spores and record image deposited in the Queensland Museum, PO Box 3300, South Brisbane BC, Queensland 4101, Australia under collection number GL13041 () (Delvinquier et al 1992).…”

Comparative morphology of the gallbladder and biliary tract in vertebrates: Variation in structure, homology in function and gallstones

“…Dual infection is also possible; spores of both Myxidium and Hemneguya were found in the gallbladder of Pipa; the gallbladder had a gelatinous texture (Frank, 1984). Myxidium lesminteri was observed in the gallbladders of three southern African anurans (Delvinquier et al, 1992). Myxidium immersum is a gallbladder parasite of the African cane toad (Delvinquier, 1986;Delvinquier and Freeland, 1988).…”

Synopsis of the species of Myxidium Bütschli, 1882 (Myxozoa: Myxosporea: Bivalvulida)

“…These myxozoans are primarily fish parasites usually infecting the gall-bladder of the hosts. However, several species have been described from amphibians (Lutz, 1889;Jirků et al, 2006;Gray, 1992;Sarkar, 1982a;Carini, 1932;Kudo & Sprague, 1940;Delvinquier et al, 1992) and reptiles (Garner et al, 2005;Roberts et al, 2008;Johnson, 1969;Kudo, 1920;Laveran, 1897) -for a review see Eiras (2005), and recently a species was described infecting birds .…”