Unicapsulocaudum, Yang & Zhou & Zhao & Huang & Huang, 2017

Yang, Chengzhong, Zhou, Yang, Zhao, Yuanjun, Huang, Wei & Huang, Cheng, 2017, Erection of Unicapsulocaudum mugilum gen. et sp. nov. (Myxozoa: Ceratomyxidae) based on its morphological and molecular data, Journal of Natural History 51 (9 - 10), pp. 457-467 : 459-461

Unicapsulocaudum gen. nov.

Diagnosis: The mature spore was ophidian-shaped with a bulky anterior end which tapered gradually and terminated as a tapering tail. It had two shell valves; one was very elongated and much bigger and longer than the other one, which looked like a horn-shaped protuberance in front of the bulky anterior end of spore. The horn-shaped valve was superficially smooth in lateral view. The sutural line was fine and could be observed on some spores in the frontal view (see Figures 1f and 2b ). A single pyriformshaped polar capsule was positioned inside of the bulky anterior end of the spore. Homogeneous sporoplasm completely filled the entire spore cavity. The tail of the spore was transformable by changing its shape to ‘l’, ‘C’, ‘S’ or other shapes (see Figures 1 and 2 ).

Type and only species: Unicapsulocaudum mugilum sp. nov.

Etymology: The word Unicapsulocaudum refers to the conspicuous morphological feature of the myxosporean and is a composite of Unicapsulo (= one polar capsule) and the Latin - caudum (= tail).

Taxonomic affinities: The genus is tentatively placed in the Ceratomyxidae Doflein, 1899 .

Figures

Figure 1. Light micrographs of the myxospore of Unicapsulocaudum mugilum sp. nov. (a) and (b) are developing stages (a is junior stage); (c–h) are mature spores of Unicapsulocaudum mugilum sp. nov. Scale bar = 10 μm.

Figure 2. Line drawing of the myxospore of Unicapsulocaudum mugilum sp. nov. in frontal view (a–c) and lateral view (d). Scale bar = 10 μm.