Morphological characterization of Aggregata spp., a parasite of the squid Lolliguncula panamensis in the Gulf of Tehuantepec
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.19136/era.a12n3.4623Keywords:
Apicomplexa, cephalopod parasites, morphological taxonomy, Lolliguncula panamensisAbstract
Apicomplexa, such as Aggregata, are intracellular parasites that infect mollusks and crustaceans, with heteroxenous life cycles (asexual stages in crustaceans and sexual stages in cephalopods). This study morphologically characterized Aggregata spp. in the squid Lolliguncula panamensis from the Gulf of Tehuantepec, Mexico. Twenty-one spawning females were analyzed, identifying iridescent whitish nodules (0.02–0.92 mm) in the digestive tract and other tissues, indicating extraintestinal infection. Microscopically, microgametes (1.42 ± 0.06 µm, one flagellum), macrogametes (9.82 × 8.9 µm), and sporocysts (12.83 × 10.39 µm) with two sporozoites (3.75 ± 0.15 µm) were observed. Compared to other species, this parasite presented key differences: smaller sporozoite size and only two per sporocyst (vs. 3-22 in others). The results suggest a possible new species or geographic variant. This is the first detailed record of Aggregata in L. panamensis, highlighting the need for molecular studies to confirm its taxonomy.
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