The oxyuroid nematode Ichthyouris bursata Moravec & Prouza, 1995 (Pharyngodonidae) was recorded from the intestine of discus (Symphysodon spp. and hybrids) cultured in discus farms in Bangkok and Nonthaburi, central Thailand, during 2006 and 2007. This material made it possible to study in detail the morphology of this little known parasite species, using both light and scanning electron microscopy (the latter not previously used for the male). The SEM examination showed taxonomically important morphological features not previously reported or erroneously described, including the presence of three bilobed lips, a pair of sclerotised plate-like structures and a median cone-shaped outgrowth on the posterior cloacal lip, short 'hairs' on the cloacal lips, digital phasmids in the male and, sometimes, up to two filaments on the egg poles. This species is of South American origin, which was confirmed by its recent record from a free-living blue discus S. aequifasciatus Pellegrin in Brazil. The reproduction and transmission of I. bursata in the conditions of aquarium tanks is probably permitted by the direct (homoxenous) life-cycle of this parasite.

Institute of Parasitology Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Branisovská 31 370 05 Ceské Budejovice Czech Republic

Zobrazit více v PubMed

Braz J Biol. 2001 May;61(2):305-10 PubMed

Folia Parasitol (Praha). 2001;48(4):311-20 PubMed

New nematode species, Orientatractis mekongensis n. sp. (Atractidae) and Neosynodontisia suratthaniensis n. g., n. sp. (Pharyngodonidae) from freshwater fishes in Thailand