Sphaerospora festivus n. sp., a parasite of the flag cichlid, Mesonauta festivus (Teleostei: Cichlidae) from eastern Amazon, Brazil

Abstract The present study describes a new species of the genus Sphaerospora found in the urinary bladder of the flag cichlid, Mesonauta festivus collected in Corre Água district of the municipality of Macapá, Amapá State (Brazil). The study includes morphological and phylogenetic analyses of the new parasite, to determine the relationship of the new species with related myxosporean species. The new species has polysporous plasmodia, which vary in size and shape. The mature myxospores are subspherical shape in valvar view. In the sutural view, the myxospores are 5.3±0.2 (5.2-5.6) μm in length and 7.0±0.7 (6.3-7.7) μm in width, with two piriform polar capsules equal size, 2.5±0.2 (2.3-2.8) μm in length and 1.8±0.2 (1.6-2.0) μm in width. The phylogenetic analyses of a partial sequence of the 18S rRNA gene confirmed the status of the new species and determined the relationship of the new species and related myxosporean species.The sum of the evidence indicates that, Sphaerospora festivus n. sp. belongs to the family Sphaerosporidae, and is the first record of the genus Sphaerospora from Brazil.