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Morphological and Phylogenetic Features of Ceratomyxa macapaensis n. sp. (Myxozoa: Ceratomyxidae) in Mesonauta festivus Heckel, 1840 (Cichliformes: Cichlidae) from the Eastern Amazon Region

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Abstract

Purpose

The class Myxozoa consists of microscopic spores that typically present uniform morphological simplifications, containing one or two sporoplasms surrounded by valve cells. The present study analysed the morphological and phylogenetic characteristics of what proved to be a new species of Ceratomyxa found in the gallbladder of Mesonauta festivus Heckel, 1840 captured on the Piririm River in the municipality of Macapá, in Amapá state, Brazil.

Methods

The fish were collected in gillnets, and were transported alive to Amapá State University in Macapá for the analysis of the organs. Crescent- or arch-shaped free spores were observed under light microscopy, containing two polar capsules and a suture line, which is typical of the morphology of the genus Ceratomyxa, contained within plasmodia that had snake-like movements. The gallbladder was conserved in 80% alcohol for the analysis of the 18S rDNA gene, and in Davidson solution for standardhistology.

Results

Ceratomyxa spores (n = 20) were observed in 11 of the 50 samplesanalysed, and thus had a prevalence of 22%, and had a mean length of 4.2 ± 0.5 µm, mean thickness of 22.75 ± 0.3 µm, and two polar capsules, 1.86 ± 0.3 µm long and 1.63 ± 0.1 µm thick.

Conclusions

The phylogenetic analysis indicated that the new species forms a cluster with other freshwater Amazonian Ceratomyxa species, described previously. The new species represents the first description of a taxon of the genus Ceratomyxain fish from the Brazilian state of Amapá.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the Health of Aquatic Organisms of the Amazon research group (SOAA) of Amapá State University (UEAP), the Carlos Azevedo Research Laboratory (LPCA) of the Federal Rural University of the Amazon (UFRA), the Applied Genetics Laboratory of the UFRA, The Federal University of Amapá, and the Brazilian Coordination for Higher Education Personnel Training (CAPES).

Funding

Not applicable.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programa de Pós-graduação em Biodiversidade e Biotecnologia, PPGBioNorte, Universidade Federal do Amapá – UNIFAP, Rod. Juscelino Kubitschek, KM-02, Macapá, Amapá, CEP 68.903-419, Brazil

    Luana Silva Bittencourt

  2. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia de Agentes Infecciosos e Parasitários – PPGBAIP, Universidade Federal do Pará – UFPA, Rua Augusto Corrêa, 01 Campus Universitário Do Guamá, Belém, Pará, CEP 66.075-110, Brazil

    Diehgo Tuloza da Silva & Abthyllane Amaral de Carvalho

  3. Laboratório de Genética Aplicada, Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia – UFRA, Avenida Presidente Tancredo Neves, 2501, Belém, Pará, CEP 66.077-901, Brazil

    Igor Hamoy

  4. Universidade Estadual da Região Tocantina do Maranhão – UEMASUL, R. Godofredo Viana, 1300 – Centro, Imperatriz – MA, Imperatriz, Maranhão, 65900-000, Brazil

    Marcelo Francisco da Silva

  5. Laboratório de Morfofisiologia E Sanidade Animal (LABMORSA), Universidade do Estado do Amapá – UEAP, Avenida Presidente Av. Pres. Vargas, 650 – Central, Macapá, CEP 68900-000, Brazil

    Marcela Videira

  6. Universidade Federal do Amapá – UNIFAP, Rod. Juscelino Kubitschek, KM-02, Macapá, Amapá, CEP 68.903-419, Brazil

    José Carlos Tavares Carvalho

  7. Laboratório de Pesquisas Carlos Azevedo, Universidade Federal Rural do Amazonas – UFRA, Av. Presidente Tancredo Neves, 2501, Belém, Pará, CEP 66.077-901, Brazil

    Edilson Matos

Authors
  1. Luana Silva Bittencourt
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  2. Diehgo Tuloza da Silva
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  3. Igor Hamoy
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  4. Abthyllane Amaral de Carvalho
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  5. Marcelo Francisco da Silva
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  6. Marcela Videira
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  7. José Carlos Tavares Carvalho
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  8. Edilson Matos
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Contributions

Luana da Silva Bittencourt: investigation, methodology, formal analysis, writing—original draft and writing—review and editing. Diehgo Tuloza da Silva: methodology and formal analysis; Igor Hamoy: methodology and formal analysis; Abthyllane Amaral de Carvalho: methodology and writing—review and editing. Luana da Silva Bittencourt: methodology. Igor Hamoy: methodology. Marcela Videira: conceptualization, methodology, project administration, supervision and writing—review and editing. José Carlos Tavares Carvalho: supervision and writing—review and editing. Edilson Matos: conceptualization, resources, supervision and writing—review and editing.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marcela Videira.

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Animal Use Committee of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA)—Amapá (012-2018) and the Biodiversity Authorization and Information System, IBAMA (SISBIO/ICMBIO license number 50376-1).

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Bittencourt, L.S., da Silva, D.T., Hamoy, I. et al. Morphological and Phylogenetic Features of Ceratomyxa macapaensis n. sp. (Myxozoa: Ceratomyxidae) in Mesonauta festivus Heckel, 1840 (Cichliformes: Cichlidae) from the Eastern Amazon Region. Acta Parasit. 67, 322–329 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11686-021-00460-x

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