Remarks on the seasonal occurrence and identification of young plasmodial stages of Myxobolus spp. infecting cyprinid fishes in Hungary.

During a survey on the Myxobolus infection of two cyprinid fishes, the ide (Leuciscus idus) and the roach (Rutilus rutilus), myxosporean developmental stages were found around the arteries of the gill filaments and in the gill lamellae. An analysis of the 18S rDNA sequences of these stages revealed that plasmodia developing in the ide belonged to Myxobolus elegans, those developing in the gill lamellae of the roach corresponded to M. intimus, while plasmodia developing in close contact with the cartilaginous gill rays proved to be developmental stages of M. feisti. A strict seasonal cycle with a very long intrapiscine development was recorded for M. elegans and M. intimus. Developing plasmodia of the latter Myxobolus spp. occurred from early summer to next spring, and spore formation took place only in April. No seasonality associated with M. feisti infections was found. Developing plasmodia and mature spores of this species occurred simultaneously in different seasons of the year. Myxobolus feisti spore formation always occurred in close contact with the cartilaginous tissue of the gill filaments but spores were rarely encapsulated in the cartilaginous gill rays.