Species complexes and phylogenetic lineages of Hoferellus (Myxozoa, Cnidaria) including revision of the genus: A problematic case for taxonomy

• Published in: Parasites & Vectors
• Main Authors: Alama-Bermejo, G. (Gema), Jirků, M. (Miloslav), Lӧvy, A. (Alena), Pecková, H. (Hana), Fiala, I. (Ivan), Holzer, Astrid S.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2016
• Subjects: Amphibia; Anura; fish; Carassius; Cyprinus carpio; ITS cloning; mode of attachment; Teleostei; ultrastructure; European eel
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-015-1265-8; http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0261398

Our phylogenetic results separate the species of Hoferellus into two phylogenetic sublineages which are indistinguishable on the basis of generic morphological traits: 1) The Hoferellus sensu stricto sublineage, which is composed of the type species Hoferellus cyprini, Hoferellus carassii and a cryptic species, Hoferellus sp. detected only molecularly in common carp. 2) The Hoferellus sensu lato sublineage into which the new species we described in this study, Hoferellus gnathonemi sp. n. from the kidney of the elephantnose fish and Hoferellus anurae from reed frogs, are placed together with Hoferellus gilsoni previously sequenced from European eel. Apart from phylogenetic analyses, we also provide novel ultrastructural data on the phagocytotic nature of some Hoferellus plasmodia and on the elusive intracellular stages ascribed to the presporogonic development of this genus.