Abstract
We report herein the molecular and morphological characteristics of two myxozoan parasites, Ceratomyxa ghannouchensis n. sp. and Ceratomyxa pallida Thelohan, 1894 infecting the gallbladder of the bogue, Boops boops (Linnaeus, 1758) in the Gulf of Gabes off the Tunisian coast. Mature myxospores of C. ghannouchensis were stubby with a convex anterior end and almost straight to slightly concave posterior one. Mature myxospores measured 5.8 +/- 0.4 (5-7) mu m in length and 11.7 +/- 0.3 (11-13) mu m in thickness. Valves were unequal in size with one occasionally tapering to a greater degree than the other. The polar capsules were equal in size, spherical in shape and measured 2 +/- 0.2 (1.8-2.8) mu m in diameter. Infection with C. pallida occurs as spherical to elongated mono-, di- or trisporic plasmodia floating in the bile. Mature myxospores were crescent-shaped with two symmetrical shell valves with rounded edges. The myxospores measured 6 +/- 0.5 (5-7) mu m in length and 28.5 +/- 2.5 (26-33) mu m in thickness. The polar capsules were spherical, equal in size and measured 3 +/- 0.3 (2.7-3.3) mu m in diameter. Based on the SSU rDNA partial sequence, C. ghannouchensis n. sp. and C. pallida appeared in the same subclade with Ceratomyxa leatherjacketi and Ceratomyxa tunisiensis.