ABSTRACT: Ornamental fishes of the species Nothobranchius eggersi and N. korthausae (Cyprinodontidae) were infected by a microsporean of the genus Glugea. In various body organs, primarily in the intestinal wall, it elicited the formation of xenomas with a structure typical of Glugea anomala (Moniez, 1887). In fact, the shape and size of spores coincided with G. anomala and there was no significant difference in ultrastructural features of either the xenoma, its developmental stages, or mature spores. However, because the cyprinodontid hosts are from a different family and there was no known contact with the original hosts of G. anomala, the identification of the present parasite as this species cannot be confirmed and requires further study. Microsporean infection was also found in Fundulopanchax filamentosus and Cynolebias nigripinnis, and there are indications that it might be identical with that of Nothobranchius.

KEY WORDS: Glugea . Microsporea . Ultrastructure . Ornamental fishes . Nothobranchius . Cynolebias . Fundulopanchax

Published in DAO Vol. 21, No. 2 (1995) on March 9
ISSN: 0177-5103. Copyright © Inter-Research, Oldendorf/Luhe, 1995