Four new myxozoans (Myxosporea: Bivalvulida) from intertidal fishes along the south coast of Africa

Abstract

Current records of marine myxozoans from the coast of Africa are limited to the descriptions of 52 species from mostly Senegal, with a few from Tunisia and southern Africa. Between 1998 and 2000 several intertidal fishes from the southern Cape coast of South Africa were examined for the presence of myxozoan infections. Three new species, Ceratomyxa dehoopi sp. n., C. cottoidii sp. n. and C. honckenii sp. n. were identified from the gall bladders of Clinus superciliosus L., C. cottoides Valenciennes and Amblyrhynchotes honckenii (Bloch), respectively. A fourth new species Henneguya clini sp. n. was also identified from the gills and gill arches of C. superciliosus.