Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Ultrastructural description of the spore maturation stages of the clam parasite Minchinia tapetis (Vilela, 1951) (Haplosporida: Haplosporidiidae)

  • Published:
Systematic Parasitology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The fine structure of maturing spores of a haplosporidian parasite found in the gill, mantle and foot tissues of Ruditapes decussatus L. (Mollusca, Bivalvia), a species of commercial importance in Portugal, is described. When observed free in suspension, immature spores exhibit one or two epispore cytoplasmic extensions (ECE) which constitute a projection of a portion of the exosporoplasm, sometimes without ultrastructural organisation, surrounded by the plasmalemma. Free spores observed by light microscopy (LM) after 3–5 days of incubation in filtered sea-water exhibit no ECE attached to the spore wall. The mature spore is ovoid to ellipsoid, operculate, uninucleate and measures c. 4.8 μm long and c. 3.9 μm wide. The spore shape and size and the identity of the host living in the same geographical region suggest that this species is the same as previously described using LM observations as Haplosporidium tapetis Vilela, 1951 and later transferred to Minchinia Labbé, 1896.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Azevedo, C. (1984) Ultrastructure of the spore of Haplosporidium lusitanicum sp. n. (Haplosporida, Haplosporidiidae), parasite of a marine mollusc. Journal of Parasitology, 70, 358–371.

    Google Scholar 

  • Azevedo, C. & Corral, L. (1987) Fine structure, development and cytochemistry of the spherulosome of Haplosporidium lusitanicum. European Journal of Protistology, 23, 89–94.

    Google Scholar 

  • Azevedo, C. & Corral, L. (1989) Fine structural observations of the natural spore excystment of Minchinia sp. (Haplosporida). European Journal of Protistology, 24, 168–173.

    Google Scholar 

  • Azevedo, C., Corral, L. & Perkins, F.O. (1985) Ultrastructural observations of spore excystment, plasmodial development and sporoblast formation in Haplosporidium lusitanicum (Haplosporida, Haplosporidiidae). Zeitschrift für Parasitenkünde, 71, 715–726.

    Google Scholar 

  • Azevedo, C., Montes, J. & Corral, L. (1999) A revised description of Haplosporidium armoricanum, parasite of Ostrea edulis L. from Galicia, northwestern Spain, with special reference to the spore-wall filaments. Parasitology Research, 85, 977–983.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ball, S.J. (1980) Fine structure of the spores of Minchinia chitonis (Lankester, 1885) Labbé, 1896 (Sporozoa: Haplosporida), a parasite of the chiton, Lepidochitona cinereus. Parasitology, 81, 169–176.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ball, S.J. (1981) Spore structure of Minchinia chitonis. Marine Fisheries Review, 43, 5–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bower, S.M., McGladdery, S.E. & Price, I.M. (1994) Synopsis of infectious diseases and parasites of commercially exploited shellfish. Annual Review of Fish Diseases, 4, 1–199.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cahour, A., Poder, M. & Balouet, G. (1980) Présence de Minchinia armoricana (Haplosporea, Haplosporida) chez Ostrea edulis d'origine française. Comptes Rendus de la Societé de Biologie, 174, 359–364.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caullery, M.& Mesnil, F. (1905) Recherches sur les Haplosporidies. Archives de Zoologie Experimental et Général, 4, 101–181.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chagot, D., Bachère, E., Ruano, F., Comps, M. & Grizel, H. (1987) Histological study of a cellular reactions in Ruditapes decussatus infected by a protozoan. Aquaculture, 67, 262–263.

    Google Scholar 

  • Comps, M. & Tigé, G. (1997) Fine structure of Minchinia sp., a haplosporidan infecting the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis L. Systematic Parasitology, 38, 45–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Desportes, I. & Nashed, N.N. (1983) Ultrastructure of sporulation in Minchinia dentali (Arvy), an haplosporean parasite of Dentalium entale (Scaphopoda, Mollusca); taxonomic implications. Protistologica, 19, 435–460.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hine, P.M.& Thorne, T. (1998) Haplosporidium sp. (Haplosporidia) in hatchery-reared pearl oysters, Pinctada maxima (Jameson, 1901), in north Eastern Australia. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, 71, 48–52.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • La Haye, C.A., Holland, N.D. & Mclean, N. (1984). Electron microscopic study of Haplosporidium comatulae n. sp. (Phylum Ascetospora: Class Stellatosporea), a haplosporidian endoparasite of an Australian crinoid, Oligometra serripinna (Phylum Echinodermata). Protistologica, 20, 507–515.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lauckner, G. (1983) Diseases of Mollusca: In: Kinne, O. (Ed.) Diseases of marine animals. Vol. II. Hamburg: Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, pp. 963–975.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marchand, J. (1974) Présence de Minchinia sp. (Haplosporida-Haplosporidiidae) chez le xanthidé Rhithropanopeus harrisii (Gould) tridentatus (Maitland) dans le canal de Caen la mer. Revue des Travaux de l'Institut des Pêches Maritimes, 38, 209–213.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marchand, J. & Sprague, V. (1979) Ultrastructure de Minchinia cadomensis sp. n. (Haplosporida) parasite du décapode Rhithropanopeus harrisii tridentatus, Maitland dans le canal de Caen à la mer (Calvados, France). Journal of Protozoology, 26, 179–185.

    Google Scholar 

  • McGovern, E.R. & Burreson, E.M. (1990) Ultrastructure of Minchinia sp. spores from shipworms (Teredo spp.) in the Western North Atlantic, with a discussion of taxonomy of the Haplosporidiidae. Journal of Protozoology, 37, 212–218.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ormières, R. (1980) Haplosporidium parisi n. sp., haplosporidie parasite de Serpula vermicularis L. Étude ultrastructurale de la spore. Protistologica, 16, 467–474.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ormières, R. & De Puytorac, P. (1968) Ultrastructure des spores de l'Haplosporidie Haplosporidium ascidiarum endoparasite du tunicier Sydnium elegans Giard. Compte Rendus de l'Academie des Sciences, Paris, 266, 1134–1136.

    Google Scholar 

  • Perkins, F.O. (1975) Fine structure of Minchinia sp. (Haplosporida) sporulation in the mud crab, Panopeus herbstii. In: Perkin, F.O. (Ed.) Haplosporidian and haplosporidian-like diseases of shellfish. Marine Fisheries Review, 37, 46–60.

  • Perkins, F.O. (1979) Cell structure of shellfish pathogens and hyperparasites in the genera Minchinia, Urosporidium, Haplosporidium and Marteilia-taxonomic implications. In: Perkin, F.O. (Ed.) Haplosporidian and haplosporidian-like diseases of shellfish. Marine Fisheries Review, 41, 25–37.

  • Perkins, F.O. (1988) Structure of protistan parasites found in bivalve molluscs. In: Fisher, W.S. (Ed.) Disease processes in marine bivalve molluscs. Bethesda, Maryland: American Fisheries Society, Special Publication, 18, pp. 93–111.

    Google Scholar 

  • Perkins, F.O. (1989) Haplosporidia. In: Margulis, L. et al. (Eds) Handbook of Protoctista. Boston: Jones and Bartlett Publishing, Inc., pp. 574–631.

    Google Scholar 

  • Perkins, F.O. & Van Banning, P. (1981) Surface ultrastructure of spores in three genera of Balanosporida, particularly in Minchinia armoricana van Banning, 1977. The taxonomic significance of spore wall ornamentation in the Balanosporida. Journal of Parasitology, 67, 866–874.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenfield, A., Buchanan, L. & Chapman, G.B. (1969) Comparison of the fine structure of spore of three species of Minchinia (Haplosporida, Haplosporidiidae). Journal of Parasitology, 55, 921–941.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sprague, V. (1963) Revision of genus Haplosporidium and restoration of genus Minchinia (Haplosporidia, Haplosporidiidae). Journal of Protozoology, 10, 263–266.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sprague, V. (1982) Ascetospora. In: Parker, S.P. (Ed.). Synopsis and classification of living organisms. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, pp. 599–601.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Banning, P. (1977). Minchinia armoricana sp. nov. (Haplosporida), a parasite of the European flat oyster, Ostrea edulis. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, 30, 199–206.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Banning, P. (1979) Haplosporidian diseases of imported oysters, Ostrea edulis in Dutch estuaries. In: Perkins, F.O. (Ed.) Haplosporidian and haplosporidian-like diseases of shellfish. Marine Fisheries Review, 41, 8–18.

  • Vilela, H. (1951) Sporozoaires parasites de la palourde, Tapes decussatus (L.). Revista da Faculdade de Ciências, Lisboa, 1, 379–386.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and CIIMAR, University of Oporto, 4099.003, Porto, Portugal

    Carlos Azevedo

Authors
  1. Carlos Azevedo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Azevedo, C. Ultrastructural description of the spore maturation stages of the clam parasite Minchinia tapetis (Vilela, 1951) (Haplosporida: Haplosporidiidae). Syst Parasitol 49, 189–194 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010620721138

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010620721138

Keywords

Search

Navigation