Abstract
Out of 600 marine fish from the Red Sea belonging to three different species that were collected and examined for microsporidian parasites, 87 (14.5%) fish were found to be infected. The infection was recorded as cysts or xenomas embedded in the gut epithelium and the peritoneal cavity of the three fish species. The highest percent of infection with microsporidian parasites was recorded in
Saurida tumbil
19.5% (39/200) followed by
Pagrus pagrus
15% (45/300) and the lowest percent of infection was recorded in
Epinephelus chlorostigma
3% (three out of 100). After rupture of the cysts, the spores were released and examined by light microscopy. Each spore was elongated to ellipsoidal in shape and possessed a posterior vacuole which is characteristic to phylum Microspora. They measure 1.6 ± 0.5 μm (1.5–2.4 μm) × 1.3 ± 0.1 μm (1.3–2.0 μm) in
Saurida tumbil
and
Pagrus pagrus
, respectively. The spores of
Pleistophora
sp recorded from
E. chlorostigma
were ovoid to pyriform in shape and measure 1.9 ± 0.5 μm (1.8–2.7 μm) × 1.6 ± 0.4 μm (1.5–2.4 μm).