Morphological and molecular characterization of a novel myxosporean parasite Myxobolus bejeranoi n. sp. (Cnidaria: Myxosporea) from hybrid tilapia in Israel

Alena Lövy, Margarita Smirnov, Vera Brekhman, Tamir Ofek, Tamar Lotan

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Myxosporean infections can cause severe damage to commercially grown tilapia. Here, we report a novel myxosporean that was found in gills of Oreochromis aureus male × Oreochromis niloticus female, which is an important aquaculture tilapia hybrid in Israel. Three-month-old fish were found to have cysts located in gill muscle tissue, which were filled with both immature and mature spores. Affected fish displayed higher mortality rate. Spore dimensions (10.8 ± 0.7 μm length × 6.8 ± 0.6 μm width) and molecular characterization using 18S ribosomal DNA revealed that the unknown parasite belongs in the Myxobolus clade. Based on the infection site, spore morphology and molecular characterization, we describe this parasite as Myxobolus bejeranoi n. sp. (MF401455). Phylogenetic analysis showed that the new species is most closely related to two Myxobolus spp. from O. niloticus in Egypt and Ghana.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)491-499
Number of pages9
JournalParasitology Research
Volume117
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Feb 2018

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2017, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.

Keywords

  • Israel aquaculture
  • Myxobolus
  • Myxosporea
  • Oreochromis hybrid
  • Pathogenic parasite
  • Tilapia

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Parasitology
  • General Veterinary
  • Insect Science
  • Infectious Diseases

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