Myxobolidae

Myxobolidae is a family of myxosporean parasites which typically infect freshwater fishes, and includes the economically significant species, Myxobolus cerebralis. They have been shown to have a complex life cycle, involving an alternate stage in an invertebrate, typically an annelid or polychaete worm.^{[citation needed]}

Myxobolidae
Myxobolus spinacurvatura, a species of Myxobolidae (Myxobolus)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Cnidaria
Class:	Myxosporea
Order:	Bivalvulida
Suborder:	Platysporina Kudo, 1919[1]
Family:	Myxobolidae Thélohan, 1892[2]

Morphology

Myxosporean spores of genera belonging to the Myxobolidae are flattened parallel to the sutural line. They typically contain two polar capsules, and have a central vacuole in which they store β-glycogen. In some genera, the spore walls are drawn out into long processes which are thought to slow sinking through the water column.^{[citation needed]}

Actinosporean stages which have been linked to members of the Myxobolidae have a single central "style" and three processes or "tails", around 200 micrometers long, projecting from this. A sporoplasm packet at the end of the style contains 64 germ cells surrounded by a cellular envelope. There are also three polar capsules, each of which contains a coiled polar filament.^{[citation needed]}

Genera

• Dicauda Hoffman & Walker, 1978^[3]
• Hennegoides Lom, Tonguthai & Dyková, 1991^[4]
• Henneguya Thélohan, 1892^[2]
• Laterocaudata Chen & Hsieh, 1984^[5]
• Myxobolus Bütschli, 1882^[6]
• Thelohanellus Kudo, 1933^[7]
• Trigonosporus Hoshina, 1952^[8]
• Unicauda Davis, 1944^[9]