FLORILYN A.

DILIMAN BS BIO 4-1

Laboratory Activity 6
PHYLUM 5. ASCETOSPORA

INTRODUCTION

Spore multicellular (or unicellular?); with one or more sporoplasms; without polar capsules
of polar filaments; all parasitic.

Class 1. Stellatosporea

Haplosporosomes present; spore with one or more sporoplasms; without polar capsules or
polar filaments; all parasitic.

Examples: Marteilla, Haplosporidium, Minchinia, Urosporidium

Class 2. Paramyxea

Spore bicellular, consisting of parietal cell and one sporoplasm; spore without orifice

Example: Paramyxa

METHODS

1. Look for pictures of the representative organisms of each class.

2. Identify the diagnostic characteristics of the organism.
3. Provide the following information
a. Habitat
b. Food
c. Role in the ecosystem
FLORILYN A. DILIMAN BS BIO 4-1

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

1. Pictures of the representative organisms of each class.

Class Stellatosporea

Martiella Haplosporidium

Minchinia armoricana Urosporidium

Class Paramyxea

Paramyxa
FLORILYN A. DILIMAN BS BIO 4-1

2. Diagnostic characteristics of organisms of Phylum Ascetospora

Organism Diagnostic Characteristics

Class Stellatosporea
Haplosporidium  exhibit single nucleus and an opening at one end
 plasmodia -like structures <5 µm in size
 can cause MSX and SSO disease to oysters
Minchinia armoricana  measures 4-8 micrometers in diameter
 mature spores are uniform
Class Paramyxea
Paramyxa  obligate parasites of marine invertebrates
 produce delicate spore with one cell inside another cell
 life cycles are unknown

3. Provide the following information

a. Habitat
Ascetosporans are protozoa that mainly infect marine invertebrates like mollusks,
and can also infect other freshwater species. Therefore, they can be found in aquatic
environments since their hosts are living there.

b. Food
The source of survival of ascetosporans are their host organisms like mollusks or
annelids. Thus, they rely on the nutrients from their host in order to survive.

c. Role in the ecosystem

Some species under Phylum Ascetospora are opportunistic parasites that infects
marine organisms. Thus, their role in the ecosystem is that they can be subject for various
researches in order to identify infectious diseases they can cause and how to treat them.
They can also be important for keeping medical records on clinical diagnosis for future
references.
FLORILYN A. DILIMAN BS BIO 4-1

PHYLUM 6. MYXOZOA

INTRODUCTION

Spores of multicellular origin, with one or more polar capsules and sporoplasms; with 1,
2, or 3 (rarely more) valves: all species parasitic

Class 1. Myxosporea

Spore with 1 or 2 sporoplasms and 1-6 (typically 2) polar capsules, each capsule with coiled
polar filament: filament function probably anchoring; spore membrane generally with 2,
occasionally up to 6 valves; trophozite stage well developed, main site of proliferation; coelozoic
or histozoic I cold blooded vertebrates.
Examples: Myxidium, Sphaerospora, Sphaeromyxa, Trilospora

Class 2. Actinosporea

Spores with 3 polar capsules, each enclosing coiled polar filament; membrane with 3
vlaves; several to any sporoplasms; trophozite stage reduced; proliferation mainly during
sporogenesis; in vertebrates, especially annelids.
Example: Triactinomyxon

METHODS

1. Look for pictures of the representative organisms of each class.

2. Identify the diagnostic characteristics of the organism.
3. Provide the following information
d. Habitat
e. Food
f. Role in the ecosystem
FLORILYN A. DILIMAN BS BIO 4-1

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

1. Pictures of the representative organisms of each class.

Class Myxosporea

Myxidium Sphaerospora

Sphaeromyxa

Class Actinosporea

Triactinomyxon
FLORILYN A. DILIMAN BS BIO 4-1

2. Identify the diagnostic characteristics of the organism.

Organism Diagnostic Characteristics

Class Myxosporea
Myxidium  have spindle-shaped spores with about 21 to 23
longitudinal surface ridges
 polar capsules, usually with 5 coils of polar filaments
 polysporic plasmosdia
Sphaerospora  undergo small vegetative stages, produce 1 spore
 spores are subspherical with almost spherical polar
capsules of equal size
 polar filaments are wound in wide coils
 have 2 uninucleate sporoplasm
Sphaeromyxa  spores possess ribbon-like polar filaments
 other species exhibit polar or ovoid capsules
Class Actinosporea
Triactinomyxon  possess 3 polar capsules each contains a coiled polar
filaments
 composed of 3 tails arranged in triangular form

3. Provide the following information.

a. Habitat
Species under Phylum Myxozoa are usually aquatic protozoanz that can live in both
freshwater and marine habitats. In particular, they live inside the guts of their hosts.

b. Food
Myxospores are ingested by annelids and oysters, and they can also consume their
nutrition from the skin or gills of fishes. Generally, they rely on their natural host to
survive and undergo their life cycle.

c. Role in the ecosystem

The organisms of the said phylum are pathogenic yet can be considered as
commercially important pathogens of fish which results to discoveries of new
aquaculture species that are highly susceptible. They also have huge impact on wild
fish production as they cause various diseases in fishes.
FLORILYN A. DILIMAN BS BIO 4-1

REFERENCES

Ball, S. J. (1981). Spore structure of Minchinia chitonis. Retrieved from

https://spo.nmfs.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/pdf-content/mfr43102.pdf

Banning, P. V. (1977). Minchinia armoricana sp. nov. (Haplosporidia), a parasite of the European
flat oyster, Ostrea edulis. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, 30(3), 199-206.

Dykova, I., Lom, J., & Grupcheva, G. (1987). Pathogenicity and some structural features of
Myxidiu rhodei (Myxozoa: Myxosporea) from the kidney of the roach Rutilus rutilus.
Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, 2, 109-115.

Fiala, I. (2008). Myxozoa. The Tree of Life Web Project. Retrieved from
http://tolweb.org/Myxozoa/2460/2008.07.10.

Ford, S. R., Stokes, N. A., Alcox, K. A., Flores, B. S., Barber, R. D., Carnegie, R. B., & Burreson,
E. M. (2018). Investigating the life cycle of Haplosporidium nelsoni: A review. Journal of
Shelfish Research, 37(4), 679-696.

Whipps, C. M., & Zhao, Y. (2015). Synopsis of the species of the genus Sphaeromyxa Thelohan,
1892 (Myxosporea: Bivalvulida: Variisporina: Spaheromyxidae). Systematic Parasitology,
92(2), 81-99.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/haplosporidium-
nelsoni