What is phylum Myxozoa?

Cnidaria
Myxozoa/Phylum
Myxozoans are a group of microscopic, oligocellular, obligate endoparasites that belong to the Phylum Cnidaria, which also includes sea anemones, box jellies, corals, true jellies, sea pens, and hydrozoans.

How big is a Myxozoa?

Myxozoans are very small animals, typically 10–300 μm in length. Like other cnidarians they possess cnidocysts, which were referred to as “polar capsules” before the discovery that myxozoans are cnidarians. These cnidocysts fire tubules as in other cnidarians; some inject substances into the host.

Are Cnidaria parasites?

Ultimately, phylum Cnidaria may be recognized as having more parasites than free-living species. Myxozoan diversification and dispersal have been promoted by human-mediated factors.

Can you eat fish with Myxozoans?

They are found principally in the muscle, the brain and the gall bladder of their host fishes. Some species of myxozoans can cause death in fish. Non-lethal effects can include the production of small but obvious white cysts in the muscle that make fillets unsightly, unappetising and therefore unmarketable.

How big is the genome of a myxozoan?

“The myxozoan genomes were 20 to 40 times smaller than average jellyfish genomes,” Dr Cartwright said. “It’s one of the smallest animal genomes ever reported. It only has about 20 million base pairs, whereas the average cnidarian has over 300 million. These are tiny little genomes by comparison.”

Why are myxozoans the smallest animals on Earth?

As myxozoans evolved into microscopic parasites, they lost many genes responsible for multicellular development, coordination, cell-cell communication, and even, in some cases, aerobic respiration. The genomes of some myxozoans are now among the smallest genomes of any known animal species.

How did the myxozoan change its body plan?

Analyses of myxozoan genomes indicate that the transition to the highly reduced body plan was accompanied by massive reduction in genome size, including depletion of genes considered hallmarks of animal multicellularity.

What kind of hosts do myxozoans infect?

Myxozoans are a diverse group of microscopic parasites that infect invertebrate and vertebrate hosts. The assertion that myxozoans are highly reduced cnidarians is supported by the presence of polar capsules, which resemble cnidarian stinging structures called “nematocysts.”