Light and electron microscopic observations on Kudoa boogsi sp n. (Myxosporea : Kudoidae), a gill parasite of Boops boops (Pisces : Teleostei : Sparidae) from coasts of Senegal (West Africa)

Kudoa boopsi sp. n. is described from the gill filaments of Boops boops fro m coasts of Senegal (West Africa). Out of 141 fish examined, nine were foun d to be parasitized. The cysts (plasmodia) formed were located at the base of gill filaments in the epithelial tissue. They were ellipsoidal and measu red 0.5 to 1.5 mm. The dimensions of spores were width - 8.87 +/- 0.18 (8-1 0) mu m, thickness - 7.61 +/- 0.11 (7-8) mu m, length - 5.73 +/- 0.13 (4-6) mu m. The polar capsules were equal in size and measured 2.98 +/- 0.09 (2- 4) x 1.73 +/- 0.07 (1-2) mu m. Ultrastructural observations have shown that sporogenesis was initiated by bicellular stages, one of cells enveloping t he other. Valvogenic cells cytoplasm presented electron-dense bodies. Capsu logenic cells were similar to that of other myxosporidia. The polar filamen t of polar capsules had 2 to 3 coils. The sporoplasm was constituted of two morphologically distinct cells, one of which surrounding the other.