Morphology And Small Subunit Rdna-based Phylogeny Of Ceratomyxa Amazonensis N. Sp Parasite Of Symphysodon Discus, An Ornamental Freshwater Fish From Amazon

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)The specious genus Ceratomyxa Thelodan, 1892, infect mainly gallbladder of marine fishes, with only five species reported infecting species from freshwater environment. This study performed morphological and phylogenetic analyses involving a new Ceratomyxa species (Ceratomyxa amazonensis n. sp.) found in gallbladder of Symphysodon discus Heckel, 1840 (Perciformes: Cichlidae), an important ornamental fish endemic to Amazon basin. Mature spores were strongly arcuate shaped and measured 7.0 +/- 0.3 (6.27.6) mu m in length, 15.8 +/- 0.4 (15.0-16.7) mu m in thickness, and polar capsules 3.22 +/- 0.34 (2.4-3.6) mu m in length and 2.63 +/- 0.17 (2.4-2.9) mu m in width. This was the first small subunit ribosomal DNA (SS rDNA) sequencing performed to Ceratomyxa species parasite of freshwater fish, and the phylogenetic analysis showed C. amazonensis n. sp. clustering in the early diverging subclade of the ceratomyxids, together with species of parasites of amphidromous/estuaries fishes, suggesting some role of the transition of the fishes between marine/freshwater environments in the evolutionary history of these parasites.1151040214025Sao Paulo Research Foundation-FAPESP [2013/21374-6]FAPESP [2013/14656-5, 2014/22700-7]National Council of Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) [305630/2013-0]Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq