The Exoschizonidae are a family in the
phylum
In biology, a phylum (; : phyla) is a level of classification, or taxonomic rank, that is below Kingdom (biology), kingdom and above Class (biology), class. Traditionally, in botany the term division (taxonomy), division has been used instead ...
Apicomplexa
The Apicomplexa (also called Apicomplexia; single: apicomplexan) are organisms of a large phylum of mainly parasitic alveolates. Most possess a unique form of organelle structure that comprises a type of non-photosynthetic plastid called an ap ...
.
History
This family was created by Levine in 1971.
[Levine ND (1971) Taxonomy of the Archigregarinorida and Selenidiidae (Protozoa, Apicomplexa) J Euk Microbiol 18 (4) 704–717 ]
Taxonomy
There is one
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
currently recognised in this family - ''
Exoschizon''. This genus has only one species - ''
Exoschizon siphonosomae'' - which was described by Hukui in 1939.
[Hukui (1939) J Fac Sci Hiroshima Univ 7: 17]
Description
This species was found in the
intestine
The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The tract is the largest of the body's systems, after the cardiovascular system. T ...
of a
sipunculid worm (''
Siphonosoma cumanense'') in
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
.
The
meronts measure . There are ~13 longitudinal striations per side.
The meronts and gamonts are similarly shaped.
Transmission is presumably by the
orofaecal route.
References
Apicomplexa families
{{Apicomplexa-stub