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PURPOSE To date, two haemogregarines have been described from the white-spotted wall gecko, Tarentola annularis in Egypt. These species are Haemogregarina annularis and Haemogregarina tarentannulari. Although these two species initially were described as different species parasitizing T. annularis, both forms look identical due to their similar morphology and morphometric characteristics from the same host species. Here we will clarify, using traditional morphological description of the blood and tissue stages, combined with molecular analysis, the identity of the haemoparasites infecting T. annularis in Egypt. METHODS Thin blood smears were screened from 50 gecko, Tarentola annularis and merognic stages were identified in the lung of the infected geckos. Parasite DNA was extracted and PCR was carried out to amplify parasite 18S rDNA. RESULTS Morphological criteria of parasite stages, mature gamont stages and mergonic stages were similar to the two previously reported Haemogregarina species. In the phylogenetic tree, the present haemogregarine fell within a clade comprising most of Hepatozoon species infecting reptiles. CONCLUSION Our morphological comparison supported that the two previously described Haemogregarina species were the same and allowed us to consider Haemogregarina tarentannulari as a junior synonym of Haemogregarina annularis. Our phylogenetic analysis gave us the opportunity to reassign Haemogregarina annularis to the genus Hepatozoon and being identified as Hepatozoon annularis n. comb.

Two myxosporean species have been, so far, independently reported from the gallbladder of the European pilchard, Sardina pilchardus (Walbaum) (synonym Clupea pilchardus) in the Northern shore of the Mediterranean Sea; Ceratomyxa truncata Thelohan, and Coccomyxa morovi Leger and Hesse, 1907. The two species were described with incomplete morphological data and based only on line drawings of their mature myxospores. During a parasitological survey in the Southern shores of the Mediterranean coast in the gulf of Gabes off Tunisia, two coelozoic myxosporean species were found in the European pilchard and described using morphological and molecular phylogenetic tools. Morphological characterization was based on the mature myxospore study and some vegetative stages. The SSU rDNA sequences were performed for molecular and phylogenetic study. The most frequently encountered species belongs to the genus Ceratomyxa Thelohan, 1892. The second species belongs to the genus Coccomyxa. Morphological examinations, allowed us to match these two recorded species with Ceratomyxa truncata and Coccomyxa morovi, respectively, as previously described in the same host species referring to the original manuscripts instead of some morphological differences. Molecular analyses based on the partial SSU rDNA sequences did not much with any of the previously reported myxozoan sequences. Phylogenetic analysis positioned C. truncate in a well-supported clade including Ceratomyxa ssp. from Mediterranean Sea, while C. morovi was positioned on the basis of the subclade grouping all Coccomyxidae species. We provided herein a first morphological redescription of Ceratomyxa truncata and Coccomyxa morovi parasite of Sardina pilchardus from the Southern shores of the Mediterranean Sea and we successfully obtained the SSU rDNA sequences of these two species and positioned them in the phylogenetic tree.

Myxozoans are economically important group of metazoan parasites, which can cause diseases in a large variety of commercially important fishes. Increased knowledge on molecular features has shown that traditional descriptive characters may be misleading. Combination of both descriptive and molecular features is therefore necessary for an integrated taxonomic assessment.Cyprinid Labeo batesii, sampled in the Makombè River at Nkondjock in Cameroon were examined for myxosporeans. Identification of parasite species was based on morphological and molecular sequence analyses of myxospores. Phylogenetic analysis was performed using maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) methods.The scales of L. batesii were infected by Myxobolus nkondjockei sp. nov Their mature myxospores are ovoid in frontal view and lenticular in lateral view, with two rounded ends. These myxospores measured 10.3 (10-10.9) μm length and 8.0 (7.3-8.5) μm width. Myxospores have two ovoid and equal sizes polar capsules. They measured 4.5 (4.0-5.0) µm in length and 2.4 (2-2.9) µm in width. Polar tubules were coiled in 4-5 turns perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the polar capsules. Phylogenetic analysis of the 18S rDNA sequence show clustering of M. nkondjockei sp. n. close to an undetermined species Myxobolus sp. reported infecting gill lamellas of Labeo rohita from India.The morphological, molecular and phylogenetic data provided for M. nkondjockei sp. n. are solid basis for further identification of this myxozoan of which pathogenicity probably plays an economic role at culturing the hosts.

To date, two haemogregarines have been described from the white-spotted wall gecko, Tarentola annularis in Egypt. These species are Haemogregarina annularis and Haemogregarina tarentannulari. Although these two species initially were described as different species parasitizing T. annularis, both forms look identical due to their similar morphology and morphometric characteristics from the same host species. Here we will clarify, using traditional morphological description of the blood and tissue stages, combined with molecular analysis, the identity of the haemoparasites infecting T. annularis in Egypt.Thin blood smears were screened from 50 gecko, Tarentola annularis and merognic stages were identified in the lung of the infected geckos. Parasite DNA was extracted and PCR was carried out to amplify parasite 18S rDNA.Morphological criteria of parasite stages, mature gamont stages and mergonic stages were similar to the two previously reported Haemogregarina species. In the phylogenetic tree, the present haemogregarine fell within a clade comprising most of Hepatozoon species infecting reptiles.Our morphological comparison supported that the two previously described Haemogregarina species were the same and allowed us to consider Haemogregarina tarentannulari as a junior synonym of Haemogregarina annularis. Our phylogenetic analysis gave us the opportunity to reassign Haemogregarina annularis to the genus Hepatozoon and being identified as Hepatozoon annularis n. comb.

Two myxosporean species have been, so far, independently reported from the gallbladder of the European pilchard, Sardina pilchardus (Walbaum) (synonym Clupea pilchardus) in the Northern shore of the Mediterranean Sea; Ceratomyxa truncata Thélohan, and Coccomyxa morovi Léger and Hesse, 1907. The two species were described with incomplete morphological data and based only on line drawings of their mature myxospores.During a parasitological survey in the Southern shores of the Mediterranean coast in the gulf of Gabès off Tunisia, two coelozoic myxosporean species were found in the European pilchard and described using morphological and molecular phylogenetic tools. Morphological characterization was based on the mature myxospore study and some vegetative stages. The SSU rDNA sequences were performed for molecular and phylogenetic study.The most frequently encountered species belongs to the genus Ceratomyxa Thelohan, 1892. The second species belongs to the genus Coccomyxa. Morphological examinations, allowed us to match these two recorded species with Ceratomyxa truncata and Coccomyxa morovi, respectively, as previously described in the same host species referring to the original manuscripts instead of some morphological differences. Molecular analyses based on the partial SSU rDNA sequences did not much with any of the previously reported myxozoan sequences. Phylogenetic analysis positioned C. truncate in a well-supported clade including Ceratomyxa ssp. from Mediterranean Sea, while C. morovi was positioned on the basis of the subclade grouping all Coccomyxidae species.We provided herein a first morphological redescription of Ceratomyxa truncata and Coccomyxa morovi parasite of Sardina pilchardus from the Southern shores of the Mediterranean Sea and we successfully obtained the SSU rDNA sequences of these two species and positioned them in the phylogenetic tree.