SPECIES OF MYXOBOLUS (MYXOZOA) FROM THE BULBUS ARTERIOSUS OF CENTRARCHID FISHES IN NORTH-AMERICA, WITH A DESCRIPTION OF 2 NEW SPECIES

Three species of Myxobolus (Myxozoa, Myxosporea) occur in heart tissue of centrarchids. Myxobolus paralintioni Li and Desser, 1985 from Lepo mis gibbosus in Algonquin Park and Lake Erie, Ontario, has subcircular spores (in plane of spore length) in frontal view (11-13 mu m long, 9 -10 mu m wide, and 5 mu m thick) with a width-to-length ratio of 1:1.2 . Myxobolus jollimorei n. sp. from Lepomis macrochirus in Lake Erie an d in the Pascagoula River System, Mississippi, has subcircular spores (in plane of spore width) in frontal view (10.0-11.5 mu m long, 12.0-1 4.5 mu m wide, and 6.5-8.0 mu m thick) with a width-to-length ratio of 1:0.8 Myxobolus manueli n. sp. from Pomoxis nigromaculatus in Lake Er ie has spores (10-11 mu m long, 8-10 mu m wide, and 6.5-7.0 mu m thick ) that are nearly circular in frontal view but that have 2 distinct su blateral knobs along the sutural ridge and a width-to-length ratio of 1:1.2. All 3 species occur in the bulbus arteriosus of their hosts whe re they form small, saucer-shaped pseudocysts. Free spores were found free in the lumen of the heart and bulbus arteriosus, in bile, and in kidney tissue presses.