Myxosporean vegetative stages in the choroidal rele mirabile of Gasterosteus aculeatus infected with Myxobilatus gasterostei and Sphaerospora eiegans

Abstract

Examination of samples of three-spined sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus from Loch Flemington in Scotland and from 3 sites in southern England revealed hitherto unknown myxosporean stages in the choroidal rete mirabile of the eye. This paper describes the light and ultrastructural features of these stages and discusses affinities with PKX and extrasporogonic stages of other myxosporean paras~tes, particularly those belonging to the genus Sphaerospora.O Inter-Research/Printed in Germany