Morphology and 18S rDNA of Henneguya gurlei (Myxosporea) from Ameiurus nebulosus (Siluriformes) in North Carolina

Henneguya gurlei was isolated from Ameiurus nebulosus captured in North Carolina and redescribed using critical morphological features and 18S small-subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rDNA) gene sequence. Plasmodia are white, spherical, or subspherical, occur in clusters, measure up to 1.8 mm in length. and are located on the dorsal, pectoral, and anal fins. Histologically, plasmodia are located in the dermis and subdermally, and the larger cysts disrupt the melanocyte pigment layer. The spore body is lanceolate, 18.2 +/- 0.3 mu m (range 15.7-20.3) in length, and 5.4 +/- 0.1 mu m (range 3.8-6.1) in width in valvular view. The caudal appendages are 41.1 +/- 1.1 mu m (range 34.0-49.7) in length. Polar capsules are pyriform and of unequal size. The longer polar capsule measures 6.2 +/- 0.1 mu m (range 5.48-7.06), while the shorter is 5.7 +/- 0.1 mu m (range 4.8-6.4) in length. Polar capsule width is 1.2 +/- 0.03 mu m (range 1.0-1.54). The total length of the spore is 60.9 +/- 1.2 mu m (range 48.7-68.5). Morphologically, this species is similar to other species of Henneguya that are known to infect ictalurids. Based on SSU rDNA sequences, this species is most closely related to H. exilis and H. ictaluri, which infect Ictalurus punctatus.