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Syst Parasitol (2012) 81:1737 DOI 10.1007/s11230-011-9321-z
A synopsis of the species of Myxobolus Btschli,1882 (Myxozoa: Bivalvulida) parasitising Indian shes and a revised dichotomous key to myxosporean genera
Harpreet Kaur Ranjeet Singh
Received: 15 May 2011 / Accepted: 14 July 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011
Abstract A synopsis of 131 nominal species of Myxobolus Btschli, 1882 (Myxozoa: Myxosporea: Myxobolidae) reported from India is presented. For each species, the relevant morphometric and morphological data are indicated, as well as the host(s), site(s) of infection within the host and locality data. A revised dichotomous key of 59 genera of the class Myxosporea has also been included. This key incorporates 10 additional genera to that proposed in 1991 by Lom & Dykov.
Introduction
Myxosporeans are an abundant and diverse group of parasites infecting shes, amphibians and reptiles (they have also recently been reported from birds and mammals). According to Lom & Dykov (2006), the phylum Myxozoa includes four malacosporean and 2,180 myxosporean species in a total of 62 genera. However, three more genera, Soricimyxum Prunescu, Prunescu, Pucek & Lom, 2007, Gadimyxa Kie, Karlsbakk & Nylund, 2007 and Thelohanelloid Sarkar, 2009 have subsequently been described (Prunescu et al., 2007; Kie et al., 2007; Sarkar, 2009). Myxobolus Btschli, 1882 (Myxobolidae)
remains by far the largest genus within the Myxosporea.
The phylum Myxozoa has been studied by only a limited number of workers in the Indian subcontinent. Most of the work on this phylum has been carried out, on both freshwater and marine shes, in two states, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. During the last decade, Basu and Haldar (1999, 2002a, b, 2003a, b, 2004), Bandyopadhyay et al. (2007), Acharya & Dutta (2007) and Basu et al. (2006, 2009) have contributed a signicant number of new species from freshwater and marine shes belonging to genera Myxobolus, Thelohanellus Kudo, 1933, Myxidium Btschli, 1882 and Henneguya Thlohan, 1892. Reports of myxosporean species from other parts of India are few, except for some from freshwater shes of Manipur (Hemananda et al., 2009, 2010) and Kerala (Sheeja & Janardanan, 2006). Hemananda et al. (2006), during an investigation on the prevalence of myxozoa parasites in the sh Cirrhina mrigala, recorded the pathogenicity and mortality due to Myxobolus haldi Hemananda, Mohilal & Vishwanath, 2006 infecting the gill...