FoliA PArAsitologicA 60 [5]: [425][426][427][428][429][430][431][432] 2013 issN 0015-5683 (print), issN 1803-6465 (online) © institute of Parasitology, Biology centre Ascr http://folia.paru.cas.cz/ Address for correspondence: E. Karlsbakk, institute of Marine research, Po Box 1870, Nordnes, N-5817 Bergen, Norway. Phone: +47 55236362; Fax: +47 55238531; E-mail: egil.karlsbakk@imr.no the genus Sphaeromyxa thélohan, 1892 currently contains 46 species, which are coelozoic parasites in the bile ducts and gall bladder of marine fishes. Most species produce a large number of spores in very large flat plasmodia (up to 22 mm in diameter). the spores contain two polar capsules, one at each spore end. these contain a polar filament, which is thick when extruded, broad at the base and tapering towards the ends. the polar filament in Sphaeromyxa spp. is folded upon itself several times inside the polar capsule, whereas it is thin and coiled in other myxosporeans (lom and Dyková 2006). Different Sphaeromyxa spp. produce spores of two main types: either straight fusiform spores with oval polar capsules and usually truncate ends, or arcuate spores with pyriform polar capsules that usually have rounded spore ends. laird (1953) referred to these as members of the 'balbianii' and 'incurvata' groups, respectively. separation of the species in these two groups is also supported by phylogenetic studies (Kristmundsson and Freeman 2013, Whipps andFont 2013).During a survey on myxosporean diversity of Norwegian marine fishes, infections with a Sphaeromyxa species belonging to the 'balbianii' group were discovered in two sculpin species caught in relatively deep waters in northern Norway. this species was found to be new to science and is described below.
MaterialS and MethodSthe marine sculpins Artediellus atlanticus Jordan et Evermann and Triglops murrayi günther were collected by bottom trawl during a research cruise along the coast of northern Norway with rV 'Helmer Hanssen' from 17 october to 12 November 2011 (table 1). the sculpins were immediately examined post capture. Fresh bile samples were examined in a microscope (olympus cX41) equipped with a digital camera (olympus sc30) and digital image series of the spores and plasmodia were taken. Plasmodia and spore measurements were taken from the images using the image J software. Air dried smears were kept from infected samples; these were stained with Hemacolor® (Merck Millipore, Billerica, MA