First Molecular Data on (Myxozoa: Myxosporea) Infecting the Scale of Grey Mullet () from Turkey.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the present study was to show the morphologic and molecular characterization of in grey mullet () caught from the Black Sea coasts of Turkey.

METHODS

A total of 104 grey mullets caught from Turkish Black Sea coasts were obtained from fish markets between November 2017 and February 2018 and were examined for the presence of by using morphological and advanced molecular diagnostic methods.

RESULTS

Totally, three out of 104 fish specimens were found to be infected with large and white coloured plasmodia and the prevalence was determined as 2.8%. The myxospores were morphologically identified as , confirmed by using sequence analyses of their 18S rRNA gene regions. The shape of myxospores was oval and they were 8.6 (7.8-9.4) μm in length, 6.7 (6.1-7.3) μm in width and 4.7 (4.1-5.3) μm in thickness. Measuremenst of two pyriform polar capsules were 4.2 (3.7-4.6) μm in length ve 2.2 (2.1-2.4) μ m in width. The length of polar filament was determined as 27-51 μm. Nucleotide sequences of the 18S rRNA gene of the ES-2018-ERU isolate (MK012069) found in our study showed 99.8% and 100% similarity with isolates submitted to GenBank from Tunisia (AY129312) and South Korea (JF810537; KC733437), respectively. Pairwise genetic distance (%) between ES-2018-ERU isolate and the other which were identified in mullets from various countries were determined as 9.9-14.8%. Conclusion: This study provides first molecular

CONCLUSION

This study provides first molecular data on found in the scale of the grey mullets () from Turkey.