Henneguya sp. (Myxozoa: Myxobolidae) in Pimelodus maculatus (Osteichthyes: Siluridae) from Volta Grande Reservoir, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Abstract

A myxozoan parasite found in the gills of a siluroid fish, Pimelodus maculatus, from Volta Grande Reservoir, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil is described. From a total of 67 fish captured bimonthly with a net, between April 2000 and April 2001, 9 (13.4%) were infected by Henneguya sp. (Myxozoa: Myxobolidae). From eleven fish collected in August 2000, two out of three female specimens were parasitized. However, from the fish collected in December 2000, three out of five males were parasitized. The highest incidence of the parasite occurred in fish collected from August 2000 to April 2001. This myxozoan differs in a great number of parameters from H. travassosi, H. leporinicola and H. hoimba. The present description also showed different measurements in spore width, polar capsule length and coils of polar filament when compared to H. adherens, and in spore length, distance from the anterior extremity to the polar capsule, length of caudal appendage and cyst appearance compared to H. pisciforme. It also differs in total length, spore length and polar capsule length from Henneguya sp. 2 Adriano and Cordeiro, 2004. This study provides comparative measurements of myxozoan in Brazilian fish.