Discovery of Loma dimorpha Loubés, Maurant, Gasc, De Buron & Barral 1984, in a new host, the shanny, Lipophrys pholis (L.), from the north-west coast of Spain

The microsporidians (Phylum Microspora) are extremely ancient eukaryotic parasites which are widely distributed amongst fish in freshwater, estuarine and marine habitats (Dykova 1995). There have been relatively few epizootic studies of the infection of fish by microsporidians. In fish of the family Blenniidae, microsporidian infections affecting the musculature have only been reported in the shanny, Lipophrys pholis. The present paper reports a light- and electron-microscopic study of infection of the digestive tract of L. pholis by Loma dimorpha which has not previously been reported in this host. The present authors also submit epidemiological data on infection of L. pholis by L. dimorpha and P. typicalis, and investigate possible relationships between infection, and host size and sex. Specimens of L. pholis were caught in Panjon, Ria de Vigo, Galicia, north-west Spain, between October 1995 and February 1996.