Transmission of Thelohanellus hovorkai Achmerov, 1960 (Myxosporea: Myxozoa) to common carp Cyprinus carpio through the alternate oligochaete host

Thelohanellus hovorkai (Myxosporea: Myxozoa) was transmitted to common carp Cyprinus carpio by exposing fish to Aurantiactinomyxon spores collected from the oligochaete Branchiura sowerbyi. The morphological characteristics of the actinosporean stage are described in detail. B. sowerbyi were exposed to T. hovorkai spores isolated from the experimentally infected carp, and after 3 and 4 months the worms exhibited prevalences of the actinosporean stage at 19.47% (7/36) and 14.6% (6/41), respectively. Control, unexposed worms were negative for the actinosporean infection. This is the first report of an Aurantiactinomyxon transforming into a myxosporean belonging to the suborder Platysporina.