Smit Nico J, Grutter Alexandra S, Adlard Robert D, Davies Angela J
Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 524, Auckland Park 2006, South Africa.
J Parasitol. 2006 Aug;92(4):778-88. doi: 10.1645/GE-756R.1.
Little is known of the blood parasites of coral reef fishes and nothing of how they are transmitted. We examined 497 fishes from 22 families, 47 genera, and 78 species captured at Lizard Island, Australia, between May 1997 and April 2003 for hematozoa and ectoparasites. We also investigated whether gnathiid isopods might serve as potential vectors of fish hemogregarines. Fifty-eight of 124 fishes caught in March 2002 had larval gnathiid isopods, up to 80 per host fish, and these were identified experimentally to be of 2 types, Gnathia sp. A and Gnathia sp. B. Caligid copepods were also recorded but no leeches. Hematozoa, found in 68 teleosts, were broadly hemogregarines of 4 types and an infection resembling Haemohormidium. Mixed infections (hemogregarine with Haemohormidium) were also observed, but no trypanosomes were detected in blood films. The hemogregarines were identified as Haemogregarina balistapi n. sp., Haemogregarina tetraodontis, possibly Haemogregarina bigemina, and an intraleukocytic hemogregarine of uncertain status. Laboratory-reared Gnathia sp. A larvae, fed experimentally on brushtail tangs, the latter heavily infected with the H. bigemina-like hemogregarine, contained hemogregarine gamonts and possibly young oocysts up to 3 days postfeeding, but no firm evidence that gnathiids transmit hemogregarines at Lizard Island was obtained.
对于珊瑚礁鱼类的血液寄生虫，人们了解甚少，对其传播方式更是一无所知。我们检查了1997年5月至2003年4月间在澳大利亚蜥蜴岛捕获的497条鱼，这些鱼分属22个科、47个属和78个物种，检查其是否感染血内寄生虫和体外寄生虫。我们还调查了食骨虫等足类动物是否可能是鱼类血簇虫的潜在传播媒介。2002年3月捕获的124条鱼中，有58条带有食骨虫等足类幼虫，每条宿主鱼身上最多有80只，经实验鉴定为2种类型，即食骨虫属A种和食骨虫属B种。还记录到了锚头鳋桡足类，但没有水蛭。在68条硬骨鱼中发现了血内寄生虫，主要是4种类型的血簇虫以及一种类似血变虫属的感染。也观察到了混合感染（血簇虫与血变虫属），但在血涂片上未检测到锥虫。这些血簇虫被鉴定为巴氏血簇虫新种、四齿鲀血簇虫、可能是双芽血簇虫以及一种状态不明的白细胞内血簇虫。在实验室饲养的食骨虫属A种幼虫，以严重感染类似双芽血簇虫血簇虫的蓝吊为食，喂食后3天内含有血簇虫配子体以及可能的幼卵囊，但未获得确凿证据证明食骨虫在蜥蜴岛传播血簇虫。
