Developmental stages of Haemogregarina delagei in the leech Oxytonostoma typica

Haemogregarine infections in little skates, Raja erinacea, were assessed fo r a period of approximately 1 year. Prevalence of Haemogregarina delagei in little skates varied seasonally between 77 and 91%. Prevalence of leeches (Oxytonostoma typica) varied between 9 and 18%. One leech was removed from a little skate (from Passamaquoddy Bay, New Brunswick) heavily infected wit h H. delagei. Imprints made from the leech's digestive tissue contained hae mogregarine oocysts that produced 16-32 sporozoites, and meronts with 4 mer ozoites. The latter were also found in imprints made from salivary tissues.