[Sarcocystis phoeniconaii n. sp. Murata, 1986 (Apicomplexa: Sarcocystidae) of the lesser flamingo (Phoeniconaias mirror: Ciconiiformes)].

The tiny rice-grain like sarcocysts measure 3-5 x 1 mm, they are situated subfascially or in the depth of the muscles. The 50 nm thick irregular primary cyst wall forms towards the inside, small, bubble-like, less osmiophilic invaginations, which partly are concentrated in such a way, that a spongious like structure develops. The so surrounded protrusions are vertically or slightly inclined; they measure 4.25 x 1.7 microns and they are filled with compact fibrils. The cyst wall is underlaid by an average of 7.0 microns thick tape consisting of ground substance, from which an extensive septation runs to the center of the cyst. The so formed chambers are filled with lancet-like merozoites, which measure 15-20 x 1.8-2.5 microns. Their fine structure is identical with merozoites of all other sarcosporidia. A round vacuole, which is placed at the rear end of the merozoite near the nucleus seems to be a characteristic. Metrocytes are found rarely in the periphery and they are usually degenerated. In some cysts cystozoites, ground substance and protrusions show signs of lysis, the septation, however, remains usually unchanged.