Experimental transmission of twoMyxobolus spp. developing bisporogeny via tubificid worms

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Abstract
Spores ofMyxobolus cotti El-Matbouli and Hoffmann 1987 andM. cerebralis Hofer 1903 (fresh or after 5 months in mud) are taken in by tubifex worms and develop in their gut epithelium cells into actinosporea of the genusTriactinomyxon. Triactinomyxon deriving fromM. cotti differ distinctly from those derived fromM. cerebralis in morphology and the number of sporozoites in the epispore. It could be shown thatTriactinomyxon spores infect fish either via the water (bullhead, rainbow trout) or by feeding of infected tubifex (rainbow trout), developing intoMyxobolus spores in central nervous tissue (bullhead) or cartilage (rainbow trout). Fresh or ripened spores ofM. cotti andM. cerebralis were not infectious for bullheads or rainbow trout, respectively. The results of our experiments confirm the hypothesis that the life cycle ofM. cotti andM. cerebralis includes an intermediate host and a metamorphosis into actinosporea of the genusTriactinomyxon.