New coccidians from freshwater fishes of Australia

Abstract. During a survey for coccidian infections of 135 Australian freshwater fish belonging to 14 species, two new Eimeria species, E. philypnodoni sp. nov. from Philypnodon grandiceps and E. ashburneri sp. nov. from Macquaria ambigua , and three new Goussia species, G. langdoni sp. nov, from Macquaria ambigua, G. callinani sp, nov. from Hypseteotris compressa and G. lomi sp. nov. from Maccullochella peeli , were found. Epieimeria anguillae and a Goussia sp. from Anguilla australis and A. reinhardti were recorded. These are the first records of coccidia from Australian fishes.     

Eimeria branchiphila sp.nov. sporulating in the gill filaments of roach, Rutilus rutilus L.

Abstract. Eimeria branchiphila sp. nov. is described from the roach, Rutilus rutilus L., collected in Bulgaria. Sporulated oocysts were found in gill secondary lamellae and less frequently were associated with melano-macrophage centres in the spleen and in kidney interstitial tissue. In the gills, parasite cells identified as zygotes and sporulation stages were also encountered. This unusual site of sporulation represents a mechanism of sporocyst dispersal previously not recorded in fish coccidia.     

Ultrastructure of Goussia cruciata (Apicomplexa: Coccidia) infecting the liver of horse mackerel, Trachurus trachurus (L.), from Ibero-Atlantic waters

The ultrastructure of developmental stages of Goussia cruciata and the pathology they cause in the liver of Trachurus trachurus (Teleostei: Carangidae) caught off the Galician (North-West Spain) and Portuguese North Atlantic coasts are described. Each oocyst contained four ellipsoidal sporocysts, with two sporozoites. The sporocyst wall consisted of a thick and dense inner layer with transverse striations and a multi-lamellated outer layer formed by parallel dense internal bands alternating with lighter areas. The lamellae formed filamentous extensions of the wall. The sporocyst wall striation period was smaller than that observed in G. clupearum, which has a similar habitat. The dehiscence suture, characteristic of the genus, was present in the sporocysts of G. cruciata. The sporocysts were arranged in a symmetrical and characteristic cross shape. A large number of sporocysts with sporozoites were observed in direct contact with host liver cells. No macroscopic lesions were observed. In heavily infected fish, aggregations of oocysts were often enveloped in a 'yellow body' composed of amylopectin granules derived from the parasite and necrotic or aggregated host cells. Degenerating parasites were frequently observed in liver tissue. Host inflammatory cells were accumulated near some oocysts. The ultrastructure of the parasite, together with its strict host specificity, confirmed G. cruciata as a separate and valid species.     

脂肪酸营养对鱼类生长、脂代谢及免疫性能影响的研究进展

脂肪酸在鱼类营养中起着重要的作用，脂肪酸作为能源物质为鱼类的生长发育等各项活动提供能量，并协助脂溶性维生素的吸收和体内运输。不同鱼类因其生活环境不同，对必需脂肪酸的需求种类也不同。由于不同脂肪水平与不同脂肪酸来源的饲料因其脂肪酸含量或脂肪酸组成不同，不同鱼类或鱼类的不同生长阶段对脂肪源的利用也不同，那么饲料的脂肪水平或脂肪酸组成不同就对鱼类的生长、脂代谢及免疫性能产生一定的影响作用。必需脂肪酸作为鱼类重要的脂肪酸营养物质同样影响鱼类的生长、脂代谢及免疫性能。本文从脂肪酸营养对鱼类生长、脂代谢及免疫性能的影响等方面进行综述，并对今后的研究重点进行了展望。’     

广西鸡巨型艾美尔球虫的分离鉴定

为了了解广西鸡球虫病的流行种类,对一起疑似鸡巨型艾美耳球虫病例进行了临床诊断和实验室检测,并对分离到的球虫卵囊进行鉴定,从病例的病理变化和球虫卵囊形态特征等鉴定为鸡巨型艾美耳球虫。     

Aristotle as an ichthyologist: Exploring Aegean fish diversity 2,400 years ago

In an attempt to trace the origins of the science of ichthyology, we studied Aristotle's zoological works (21 books in total), aiming to give an exhaustive catalogue of his fishes, suitable for use by modern marine biologists, and to evaluate the great philosopher's knowledge of fish biology. Our investigation yielded 135 ichthyonyms used to describe 109 individual fish taxa (13 fishes had multiple names) and 12 terms that corresponded either to fish developmental stages or behavioural patterns. Because of the variable amount of information given in the texts, 54 fishes were identified to species or genus level, 24 fishes to higher categories (family, order), 27 fishes could only be classified as Actinopterygii or Elasmobranchii, while four could not be classified at all. Among the most easily recognizable fishes were Lophius spp., Conger conger, Muraena helena, Anguilla anguilla and Mugil cephalus. The latter two and the tunas (Τhunnus spp.) were the most frequently recorded fishes. Aristotle's inquiry was not limited or focused on fish that were of human interest, but he also reported or described species that fascinated him by their peculiar life history. He was interested in a wide array of aspects of fish biology ranging from body structure and function, reproduction and development to fish feeding habits, migrations and diseases. As evidenced by his work, Aristotle should be considered the first ichthyologist, preoccupied with the zoological, scientific study of fish, and a review of his writings can prove useful for current ichthyological research.     

A new species of Goussia (Apicomplexa, Coccidia) in the kidney tubules of the cod, Gadus morhua L.

Abstract. Segments of the kidney tubules of about 16% of cod caught in the approaches to Halifax Harbour were found to contain a coccidian parasite. Macrogametes developed in an epicellular position, and microgamonts, unsporulated and sporulating oocysts, and free sporocysts, were found in the lumen of the kidney tubule. The epithelial cells of the kidney tubules were damaged and granulomas often formed around infected tubules. The presence of a suture dividing the sporocyst wall into two valves could only be determined using electron microscopy. Other coccidians which have been placed in the genus Eimeria because sutures could not be seen using light microscopy, although no Stieda body was present, may also belong to the genus Goussia. No other coccidians have been reported in the kidney tubules of marine fish, and the name Goussia spraguei sp. nov., is proposed.     

Ancestry and amphidromy in island freshwater fish faunas

Amphidromy is a frequent attribute of fish faunas of remote islands, where the presence of freshwater fishes creates perplexity as to how such remote places came to have ‘freshwater fish’. Not infrequently, the fact that amphidromous species spend part of their lives in the sea is invoked as indicating that such species have marine ancestries, and this is the implied explanation for presence of freshwater fishes on islands. However, examination of the ranges of some amphidromous species, and of the distributions of genera to which amphidromous fishes belong, strongly suggests that amphidromy, especially in the gobies of the subfamily Sicydiinae, is a widespread, probably ancestral trait. Rather than such amphidromous fish having a marine ancestry, their marine life stages are themselves the likely key element in explaining their distributions.     

Eimeria spp. from cyprinid fish of the Duero basin (north-west Spain)

Abstract. We describe three Eimeria spp. from extraintestinal sites of cyprinid fish of the Esla River; Eimeria leucisci from Barbus barbus bocagei, E. rutili from Leuciscus cephalus cabeda and Chondrostoma polylepis polyiepis and E. baueri sp. nov. from Carassius carassius . Data on the prevalence and intensity are given. Histopathological changes of the barbel kidney affected by E. leucisci are described. In the analysis of the population dynamics, a clear pattern of seasonality cannot be deduced. Influence of host age was clear only for E. leucisci in which the prevalence decreased significantly with the age of the barbel. We did not observe a clear influence of host sex on the infections.     

Protozoan parasites of wild and cultured sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax (L.), from the Mediterranean area

Abstract. In a parasitic survey of wild and cultured sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax (L.), thirteen protozoan species were found. Ectoparasites included two ciliates ( Trichodina spp.), one dinoflagellate ( Amylodinium sp.) and one zooflagellate ( Cryptobia sp.). Endoparasites were represented by members of Apicomplexa ( Hemogregarina sp., Eimeria spp.). Microsporea (unidentified species) and Myxosporea ( Myxobilatus sp., Ceratomyxa spp., Sphaerospora dicentrarchi, Sphaerospora testicularis). Myxobilatus sp., Eimeria spp. and the microsporean were exclusively found in wild fish, whereas Amyloodinium sp. and Hemogregarina sp. were only detected in cultured fish. Data on prevalence and intensity of infections and on the location in the host are provided. The potential importance of protozoan parasites for sea bass culture is discussed.     

Genotypic and phenotypic characterization of Edwardsiella isolates from different fish species and geographical areas in Asia: Implications for vaccine development

The genus Edwardsiella is one of the major causes of fish diseases globally. Herein, we examined 37 isolates from ten different fish species from India, South Korea and Taiwan to gain insight into their phenotypic and genotypic properties, of which 30 were characterized as E. tarda with phenotypic homology estimated at 85.71% based on API‐20E biochemical tests. Genotyping using 16S rRNA put all isolates together with E. anguillarum, E. hoshinae, E. tarda, E. piscicida and E. ictaluri reference strains in a monophyletic group. In contrast, the gyrB phylogenetic tree clearly separated E. ictaluri, E. tarda and E. hoshinae reference strains from our isolates and put our isolates into two groups with group I being homologous with the E. anguillarum reference strain while group II was homologous with the E. piscicida reference strain. Hence, our findings point to E. piscicida and E. anguillarum as species infecting different fish species in Asia. Homology of the ompW protein suggested that strains with broad protective coverage could be identified as vaccine candidates. This study underscores the importance of combining genotyping with phenotyping for valid species classification. In addition, it accentuates the importance of phylogenetic comparison of bacterial antigens for identification of potential vaccine candidates.     

塔里木河流域土著鱼类名录文献考究及检索表的编制

通过对塔里木流域土著鱼类相关文献的考究,整理塔里木河流域土著鱼类15种,其中裂腹鱼亚科5属9种,条鳅亚科1属6种。为了对野外考察及土著鱼类鉴定提供方便,在借鉴历史文献的基础上结合对鱼类标本的观察,编制了塔里木河流域土著鱼类两个类群的平行检索表。     

The taxonomic position of the coccidian genus Crystallospora (Protozoa, Apicomplexa)

The genus Crystallospora was established by Labbé (1896) for a coccidium that Thélohan (1893) had found in the Atlantic Ocean off France. Dogel' (1948) later found it in Peter the Great Gulf (Pacific Ocean) off Japan. It was transferred to Eimeria by Doflein (1909) and remained there until Dyková & Lom (1981) revived it because of its unique sporocyst structure. Actually, its structure necessitates its removal from the family Eimeriidae and placement in the family Barrouxiidae (see Levine [1983] for a review of this family). The pertinent taxa and their diagnoses therefore become:     

傀儡湖鱼类群落结构及其食物组成研究

为了分析傀儡湖鱼类对水环境的影响,于2010年1-12月研究了傀儡湖的渔获量、组成比例和主要鱼类食物组成。结果表明,傀儡湖渔获物中,发现有9科、26种鱼类,其中鲤科鱼类最多,有18种,占鱼类种数的69.23%;鱼类组成中,鲢和鳙为优势种,分别占总渔获量的（20.82±8.06）%和（41.58±19.24）%;主要鱼类...     

黑龙江的鱼类区系

作者根据多年来对黑龙江水系鱼类调查所获标本和参考文献资料，对 黑龙江鱼类区系进行了研究。黑龙江水系共有鱼类120种（包括8亚种），隶属82属24科；河口海淡水鱼类和溯河性鱼类为22种，纯属淡水鱼类计89种，尚包括移植放流鱼类6种，土著鱼类仅为92种。     

Spraguea (Microsporida: Spraguidae) infections in the nervous system of the Japanese anglerfish, Lophius litulon (Jordan), with comments on transmission routes and host pathology

Anglerfish from the genus Lophius are a globally important commercial fishery. The microsporidian Spraguea infects the nervous system of these fish resulting in the formation of large, visible parasitic xenomas. Lophius litulon from Japan were investigated to evaluate the intensity and distribution of Spraguea xenomas throughout the nervous system and to assess pathogenicity to the host and possible transmission routes of the parasite. Spraguea infections in L. litulon had a high prevalence; all fish over 403 mm in standard length being infected, with larger fish usually more heavily infected than smaller fish. Seventy percent of all fish examined had some gross visible sign of infection. The initial site of development is the supramedullary cells on the dorsal surface of the medulla oblongata, where all infected fish have parasitic xenomas. As the disease progresses, a number of secondary sites typically become infected such as the spinal, trigeminal and vagus nerves. Fish with infection in the vagus nerve bundles often have simultaneous sites of infection, in particular the spinal nerves and along the ventral nerve towards the urinary bladder. Advanced vagus nerve infections sometimes form xenomas adjacent to kidney tissue. Spraguea DNA was amplified from the contents of the urinary bladders of two fish, suggesting that microsporidian spores may be excreted in the urine. We conclude that supramedullary cells on the hindbrain are the primary site of infection, which is probably initiated at the cutaneous mucous glands where supramedullary cells are known to extend their peripheral axons. The prevalence of Spraguea infections in L. litulon was very high, and infections often extremely heavy; however, no associated pathogenicity was observed, and heavily infected fish were otherwise normal.     

Current status of parasitic ciliates Chilodonella spp. (Phyllopharyngea: Chilodonellidae) in freshwater fish aquaculture

Freshwater fish farming contributes to more than two‐thirds of global aquaculture production. Parasitic ciliates are one of the largest causes of production loss in freshwater farmed fishes, with species from the genus Chilodonella being particularly problematic. While Chilodonella spp. include ‘free‐living’ fauna, some species are involved in mortality events of fish, particularly in high‐density aquaculture. Indeed, chilodonellosis causes major productivity losses in over 16 species of farmed freshwater fishes in more than 14 countries. Traditionally, Chilodonella species are identified based on morphological features; however, the genus comprises yet uncharacterized cryptic species, which indicates the necessity for molecular diagnostic methods. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the biology, ecology and geographic distribution of harmful Chilodonella spp. and examines pathological signs, diagnostic methods and treatments. Recent advances in molecular diagnostics and the ability to culture Chilodonella spp. in vitro will enable the development of preventative management practices and sustained freshwater fish aquaculture production.