Re-establishment of the family Coccomyxidae and description of five novel species of Auerbachia and Coccomyxa (Myxosporea: Bivalvulida) parasites from Australian fishes.

Abstract

Five novel species, Auerbachia scomberoidi n. sp., Auerbachia chaetodoni n. sp., Auerbachia caranxi n. sp., Coccomyxa colurodontidis n. sp. and Coccomyxa gobiodoni n. sp. are described from the gall bladders of marine teleosts. These species descriptions provide the first record of Auerbachia from Australian waters. Each species is characterized morphologically, including additional measurements for Auerbachia spp. and small subunit ribosomal DNA (SSU rDNA) sequences were determined for molecular phylogenetic analyses. All 5 species were each recovered from a single (and different) species of host. Phylogenetic analyses revealed a close genetic relatedness between members of Auerbachia and Coccomyxa. Based on these phylogenetic data, on obvious paraphyly displayed by the Myxidiidae and on priority, we propose the re-establishment of the family Coccomyxidae to house all species of the genera, Coccomyxa, Auerbachia and Globospora.