Abstract:
To accurately identify the pathogen of
Siniperca chuatsi, the experiments were based on morphological comparisons, combined with parasitic characterization and molecular phylogenetic methods to carry out the study and observe the ultrastructure. The results showed: fusiform or dumb-bell white sporangia, about 1.9-6.8 mm in length, were observed in the fins, skin, oral cavity, gills, the outer and the inner layer of the operculum of the diseased fishes; endospores of (9.8±1.8) (7.3-13.8) μm in diameter; the ring-like cytoplasm and circular refractive bodies of about (6.5±1.2) (3.9-8.3) μm in diameter. It was identified as
Dermocystidium. The measured values of this species were different from those of other
Dermocystidium and were in general agreement with those of the undetermined species (HB) parasitizing the gills of
Siniperca chuatsi; it was parasitized by similar sites as
Dermocystidium from Guangdong and Henan provinces (GD and HN) and
Dermocystidium sp. (HB). Molecular sequence alignment and phylogenetic results showed that this species shared over 99% similarity with
Dermocystidium sp. (HB and HN),
Dermocystidium anguillae ,
D. fennicum, and
D. salmonis in SSU
rDNA sequences. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that
D. anguillae sampled from Guangdong (GD) and Henan province (HN) branched closely with the present species, then
D. salmonis,
D. anguillae, and
D. fennicum. We concluded that
Dermocystidium sp. infecting
Siniperca sp. are conspecific and we revised the records of the
D. anguillae (GD and HN) isolates of
Siniperca chuatsi; we named
Dermocystidium in this study together with the isolates (HB, GD and HN) as
Dermocystidium sinipercae sp. n.. The intraspecific morphological variation of
Dermocystidium sinipercae sp. n. may be related to the sampling time and developmental environment; spore proliferation and differentiation processes were recorded and described in ultrastructural observations. This study confirms that
Dermocystidium sinipercae sp. n. has been distributed in many parts of China, emphasizing the urgent need to implement quarantine measures for the origin of
Siniperca chuatsi.