Guidelines for the uniform characterisation of the actinosporean stages of parasites of the phylum Myxozoa

Abstract

It is vitally important that good quality descriptions of actinosporean stages of myxosporeans are produced since these may prove to have a very important role in the taxonomy and classification of the combined myxozoan taxon. Guidelines are therefore presented for the preparation of accurate descriptions of actinosporean stages, and the terminology to be employed in such descriptions is outlined and defined. Actinospore and myxospore should be promoted as terms for the myxosporean and actinosporean spore stages in the myxozoan life cycle.