Some remarks on the occurrence,host-specificity and validity of Myxobolus rotundus Nemeczek, 1911 (Myxozoa: Myxosporea)

Myxobolus rotundus Nemeczek, 1911 is a common and specific parasite of the common bream Abramis brama (L.). Small, round or ellipsoidal shaped plasmodia of this species develop in the gill and exhibit strong histotropism to the secondary gill lamellae with plasmodial development in their capillary network. M. rotundus is frequently found in mixed infection with M. bramae Reuss, 1906, a parasite of the afferent arteries of gill filaments. The round spores of M. rotundus resemble several other Myxobolus spp., but can be distinguished from these by their small subunit ribosomal RNA gene sequence (GenBank accession no. EU710583), which also differs from the sequence for ‘M. rotundus’ from the skin of Chinese goldfish Carassius auratus auratus (L.), which we suggest has been misidentified. The SSU rRNA gene sequence of M. rotundus myxospores from bream corresponded to Triactinomyxon type 4 actinospores (AY495707) isolated from Tubifex tubifex (Müller) by Hallett et al. (2005), and we infer from this that these are alternate life stages.