Light and electronic observations on Henneguya ghaffari (Myxosporea, Bivalvulida) infecting the gills and intestine of Nile perch Lates niloticus (Pisces: Teleostei) from Chad and Senegal

Abstract

Henneguya ghaffari Ali, 1999, described for the first time in Egypt, has been found on gills and intestine of Nile perch Lates niloticus L. from Chad and Senegal (Africa). It formed plasmodia which induced lesions of infected tissues. In fresh state, the spore body was ovoid and its size was 11.07 ± 0.7 (range 11 to 13) × 7.7 ± 0.4 (range 7 to 8) μm. The length of the caudal appendages was 44.2 ± 1.7 (42 to 48) μm. The polar capsules were pyriform, of equal size, with the polar filament showing 4 coils, and measuring 3.17 ± 0.1 (range 3 to 4) × 2.2 ± 0.1 (range 1 to 2) μm. The total length of the spore was 55.73 ± 1.7 (range 53 to 61) μm. At ultrastructural level, our results confirm that in Henneguya species, the sporoplasm is binucleate and the pansporaoblast is disporous.