''Hexamita'' is a

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 ...

parasitic Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives (at least some of the time) on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The ent ...

diplomonad The diplomonads (Greek for "two units") are a group of flagellates, most of which are parasitic. They include ''Giardia duodenalis'', which causes giardiasis in humans. They are placed among the metamonads, and appear to be particularly close ...

s. It is related to ''

Giardia ''Giardia'' ( or ) is a genus of anaerobic flagellated protozoan parasites of the phylum Metamonada that colonise and reproduce in the small intestines of several vertebrates, causing the disease giardiasis. Their life cycle alternates be ...

''. ''H. columbae'' and ''H. meleagridis'' live in the intestines of birds. ''H. muris'' and ''H. pitheci'' live in the intestines of mammals. ''H. salmonis'' and ''H. truttae'' live in the intestines of fish. Species in the Hexamita family are most commonly spread through fecal matter. The genus also includes the species '' Hexamita inflata''. It is believed that ''Hexamita'' parasites are one possible cause for

head and lateral line erosion Head and lateral line erosion, (HLLE) or hole-in-the-head (HITH) is a disease in fish. Chronic ulcerative dermatopathy or chronic erosive dermatopathy are symptoms of similar conditions with different etiology. Symptoms HLLE begins as small pits ...

("hole-in-the-head disease") in aquarium fishes.

References

External links

* http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Hexamita * * http://www.lexic.us/definition-of/Hexamita Metamonads Metamonad genera {{parasite-stub