Myxosporidea of Some Brazilian Freshwater Fishes

Recorded from freshwater fishes of the Amazon region of Brazil are a new species of Myxobolus: M. serrasalmi, from the piranha, Serrasalmus rhombeus, together with Myxobolus sp. from an undescribed species of Serrasalmus and from the tambaqui Colossoma bidens. Agarella gracilis is recorded in the lungfish, Lepidosiren paradoxa, from Belem. A synopsis of species of Myxobolus from South America is given. While considerable information is available on the Myxosporidea of fishes of the USA, Europe, and Asia, little is known of South American species. In this paper, four myxosporidean parasites are described from freshwater fishes of the Amazon region of Brazil. The fish were collected between July and September 1964, during the Guy's Hospital Expedition to the Lower Amazon. A synopsis of species of the genus Myxobolus described from South America is also given.