''Kudoa'' is a genus of

Myxozoa Myxozoa (etymology: Greek: μύξα ''myxa'' "slime" or "mucus" + thematic vowel o + ζῷον ''zoon'' "animal") is a subphylum of aquatic cnidarian animals – all obligate parasites. It contains the smallest animals ever known to have lived. ...

and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which

parasitize 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 ento ...

on marine and

estuarine An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environm ...

fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and studied for the negative effects the genus has on

commercial fishing Commercial fishing is the activity of catching fish and other seafood for Commerce, commercial Profit (economics), profit, mostly from wild fisheries. It provides a large quantity of food to many countries around the world, but those who practice ...

and

aquaculture Aquaculture (less commonly spelled aquiculture), also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants (e.g. Nelu ...

industries.

Description

The genus ''Kudoa'' is identified by the possession of four or more shell valves composed of a fragile membrane and arranged in a quadrate or

stellate Stellate, meaning star-shaped, may be used to describe: Biology * Stellate cell (disambiguation) * Stellate ganglion * Stellate reticulum * Stellate veins * Stellate trichomes (hairs) Other * Stellate wounds from lacerations or incisions * S ...

pattern. The maximum number of shell valves in any described ''Kudoa'' species is 13. Each of these valves has a

polar capsule Polar capsules are structures found in the valves of myxosporean parasites, which contain the polar filament. The polar capsule is constructed of a proteinaceous and a polysaccharide layer, both layers of which continue into the polar filament. T ...

. The genus ''Kudoa'' was originally part of the genus ''

Chloromyxum ''Chloromyxum'' is a genus of parasitic, myxosporean cnidaria Cnidaria ( ) is a phylum under kingdom Animalia containing over 11,000 species of aquatic invertebrates found both in fresh water, freshwater and marine environments (predominantl ...

'' because of the distribution of their polar capsules, however, it was later determined to be a separate genus. Each ''Kudoa'' has two

sporoplasm Sporoplasm is an infectious material present in the cytoplasm of various fungi-like organisms, such as members of class ''Microsporidia''. Sporoplasm is defined as a mass of protoplasm that gives rise to or forms a spore. The protoplasmic body t ...

cells, one enclosed by the other. Most ''Kudoa'' are histozoic parasites, with a few species being described as coelzoic. Some

taxonomists In biology, taxonomy () is the scientific study of naming, defining ( circumscribing) and classifying groups of biological organisms based on shared characteristics. Organisms are grouped into taxa (singular: taxon), and these groups are given ...

question whether these coelzoic organisms belong to a separate genus. There are approximately 100 described species of ''Kudoa'' which can be found in the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the cont ...

, and Indian oceans.

Species

The following species are recognized in the genus ''Kudoa'': * ''

Kudoa aburakarei ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Li, Inoue, Tanaka, Zhang & Sato, 2020 * ''

Kudoa acentrogobia ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Li, Inoue, Tanaka, Zhang & Sato, 2020 * '' Kudoa aequidens'' Casal, Matos, Matos & Azevedo, 2008 * ''

Kudoa ajurutellus ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which Parasitism, parasitize on Marine life, marine and Estuary, estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' ...

'' Araújo-Neto, Cardim, Da Silva, Hamoy, Matos & Abrunhosa, 2020 * ''

Kudoa akihitoi ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Kasai, Setsuda & Sato, 2017 * ''

Kudoa alliaria ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Kovaleva, Shulman & Yakolev, 1979 * ''

Kudoa amamiensis ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which Parasitism, parasitize on Marine life, marine and Estuary, estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' ...

'' Egusa & Nakajima, 1978 * ''

Kudoa amazonica ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Velasco, Sindeaux Neto, Videira, de Cássia Silva do Nascimento, Gonçalves & Matos, 2019 * ''

Kudoa anatolica ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Özer, Okkay, Gürkanlı, Çiftçi & Yurakhno, 2018 * ''

Kudoa azevedoi ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Mansour, Thabet, Chourabi, Harrath, Gtari, Omar & Hassine, 2013 * ''

Kudoa azoni ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Aseeva, 2004 * ''

Kudoa barracudai ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Abdel-Baki, Al-Quraishy, Omar & Mansour, 2016 * ''

Kudoa bengalensis ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Sarkar & Mazumder, 1983 * ''

Kudoa boopsi ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Kpatcha, Diebakate, Faye & Toguebaye, 1999 * ''

Kudoa bora ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Fujita, 1930 * ''

Kudoa borimiri ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Yurakhno, Slynko, Chinh, Ha & Whipps, 2022 * ''

Kudoa branchiata ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Joy, 1972 * '' Kudoa camarguensis'' Pampoulie, Marques, Crivelli & Boucherau, 1999 * '' Kudoa carcharhini'' Gleeson, Bennett & Adlard, 2010 * '' Kudoa cascasia'' Sarkar & Chaudry, 1996 * '' Kudoa caudata'' Kovaleva & Gaevskaya, 1983 * ''

Kudoa cerebralis ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Paperna & Zwerner, 1974 * '' Kudoa chaetodoni'' Burger, Cribb & Adlard, 2007 * '' Kudoa cheilodipteri'' Heiniger, Cribb & Adlard, 2013 * '' Kudoa chilkaensis'' Tripathi, 1951 * '' Kudoa ciliatae'' Lom, Rohde & Dyková, 1992 * '' Kudoa clupeidae'' Hahn, 1917 * ''

Kudoa cookii ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which Parasitism, parasitize on Marine life, marine and Estuary, estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' ...

'' Heiniger, Cribb & Adlard, 2013 * ''

Kudoa corniculata ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Li, Inoue, Zhang & Sato, 2022 * ''

Kudoa crenimugilis ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Abdel-Baki, Abdel-Haleem, Al-Quraishy, Azevedo & Mansour, 2018 * ''

Kudoa cruciformum ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which Parasitism, parasitize on Marine life, marine and Estuary, estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' ...

'' Matsumoto, 1954 * '' Kudoa crumena'' Iversen & van Meter, 1967 * '' Kudoa cynoglossi'' Obiekezie & Lick, 1994 * '' Kudoa dianae'' Dyková, Fajer & Fiala, 2002 * ''

Kudoa dicentrarchi ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Sitjà-Bobadilla & Alvarez-Pellitero, 1992 * '' Kudoa empressmichikoae'' Kasai, Setsuda & Sato, 2017 * ''

Kudoa encrasicoli ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Iglesias, Rangel, Fernández-Vázquez, Santos & García-Estévez, 2022 * ''

Kudoa eugerres ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Casal, Soares, Rocha, Silva, Santos, Nascimento, Oliveira & Azevedo, 2019 * ''

Kudoa fujitai ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Li, Inoue, Zhang & Sato, 2020 * '' Kudoa funduli'' Hahn, 1915 * '' Kudoa grammatorcyni'' Adlard, Bryant, Whipps & Kent, 2005 * ''

Kudoa guangdongensis ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Li, Inoue, Tanaka, Zhang & Sato, 2020 * '' Kudoa gunterae'' Burger & Adlard, 2009 * ''

Kudoa haridasae ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Sarkar & Ghosh, 1991 * ''

Kudoa hemiscylli ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Gleeson, Bennett & Adlard, 2010 * ''

Kudoa hexapunctata ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which Parasitism, parasitize on Marine life, marine and Estuary, estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' ...

'' Yokoyama, Suzuki & Shirakashi, 2014 * ''

Kudoa hirsuta ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Li, Inoue, Zhang & Sato, 2022 * '' Kudoa histolytica'' Pérard, 1928 * ''

Kudoa hypoepicardialis ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Blaylock, Bullard & Whipps, 2004 * ''

Kudoa igami ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Shirakashi, Yamane, Ishitani, Yanagida & Yokoyama, 2014 * ''

Kudoa igori ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Yurakhno, Slynko, Chinh, Ha & Whipps, 2022 * ''

Kudoa iidae ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Li, Inoue, Tanaka, Zhang & Sato, 2020 * '' Kudoa inornata'' Dykova, de Buron, Fiala, Roumillat, 2009 * '' Kudoa insolita'' Shulman & Kovalijova, 1979 * '' Kudoa intestinalis'' Maeno, Magasawa & Sorimachi, 1993 * '' Kudoa islandica'' Kristmundsson & Freeman, 2014 * '' Kudoa iwatai'' Egusa & Shiomitsu, 1983 * ''

Kudoa javaensis ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Yunus, Yustinasari, Natalia, Ghosh, Sakuma, Inoue & Sato, 2021 * '' Kudoa kabatai'' Shulman & Kovalijova, 1979 * ''

Kudoa kenti ''Kudoa kenti'' is a myxosporean parasite of marine fish A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lackin ...

'' Burger & Adlard, 2009 * ''

Kudoa konishiae ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Sakai, Kato, Sakaguchi, Setsuda & Sato, 2018 * '' Kudoa lateolabracis'' Yokoyama, Whipps, Kent, Mizuno & Kawakami, 2004 * '' Kudoa leiostomi'' Dyková, Lom & Overstreet, 1994 * '' Kudoa lemniscati'' Miller & Adlard, 2012 * ''

Kudoa leptacanthae ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Heiniger & Adlard, 2012 * ''

Kudoa lethrini ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Burger, Cribb & Adlard, 2007 * ''

Kudoa longichorda ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Inoue, Kasai, Argamjav & Sato, 2022 * ''

Kudoa lunata ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Lom, Dyková & Lhotákova, 1983 * '' Kudoa lutjanus'' Wang, Huang, Tsai, Cheng, Tsai, Chen, Chen, Chiu, Liaw, Chang & Chen, 2005 * '' Kudoa megacapsula'' Yokoyama & Itoh, 2005 * '' Kudoa miniauriculata'' Whitaker, Kent & Sakanari, 1996 * '' Kudoa minithyrsites'' Whipps, Adlard, Bryant, Lester, Findlay & Kent, 2003 * '' Kudoa mirabilis'' Naidenova & Gaevskaya, 1991 * ''

Kudoa monodactyli ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Gunter, Cribb, Whipps & Adlard, 2006 * '' Kudoa muscularis'' Cheung, Nigrellu & Ruggieri, 1983 * '' Kudoa musculoliquefaciens'' Matsumoto & Arai, 1954 * '' Kudoa neothunni'' Arai & Matsumoto, 1953 * ''

Kudoa neurophila ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Grossel, Dyková, Handlinger & Munday, 2003 * ''

Kudoa niluferi ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Özer, Okkay, Gürkanlı, Çiftçi & Yurakhno, 2018 * '' Kudoa nova'' Naidenova, 1975 * '' Kudoa obicularis'' Azevedo, Rocha, Matos, Oliveira, Matos, Al-Quraishy & Casal, 2015 * ''

Kudoa ocellatus ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Da Silva, Da Silva, Lima, Matos, De Carvalho Sanches, Matos & Hamoy, 2022 * ''

Kudoa ogawai ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Yokoyama, Yanagida & Shirakashi, 2012 * '' Kudoa ovivora'' Swearer & Robertson, 1999 * ''

Kudoa pagrusi ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Al Quraishy, Koura, Abdel-Baki, Bashtar, El Deed, Al Rasheid & Abdel Ghaffar, 2008 * '' Kudoa paniformis'' Kabata & Whitaker, 1981 * '' Kudoa paralichtys'' Cho & Kim, 2003 * '' Kudoa paraquadricornis'' Burger & Adlard, 2009 * '' Kudoa parathyrsites'' Kasai, Li, Mafie & Sato, 2016 * ''

Kudoa parvibulvosa ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Li, Inoue, Zhang & Sato, 2022 * '' Kudoa pericardialis'' Nakajima & Egusa, 1978 * '' Kudoa permulticapsula'' Whipps, Adlard, Bryant & Kent, 2003 * ''

Kudoa peruvianus ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which Parasitism, parasitize on Marine life, marine and Estuary, estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' ...

'' Mateo Salas, 1972 * ''

Kudoa pleurogrammi ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Kasai, Li, Mafie & Sato, 2016 * ''

Kudoa prunusi ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Meng, Yokoyama, Shirakashi, Grabner, Ogawa, Ishimaru, Sawada & Murata, 2011 * '' Kudoa quadratum'' Thélohan, 1895 * '' Kudoa quadricornis'' Whipps, Adlard, Bryant & Kent, 2003 * ''

Kudoa quraishii ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Mansour, Harrath, Abd-Elkader, Alwasel, Abdel-Baki & Al Omar, 2014 * ''

Kudoa ramsayi ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Kalavati, Brickle & MacKenzie, 2000 * ''

Kudoa rayformis ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Shin, Shirakashi, Hamano, Kato, Lasso & Yokoyama, 2016 * '' Kudoa rosenbuschi'' Gelormini, 1966 * ''

Kudoa rousseauxii ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Velasco, Eduard, Neto, Dias, Matos & Gonçalves, 2022 * ''

Kudoa saudiensis ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Mansour, Harrath, Abdel-Baki, Alwasel, Al-Quraishy & Al Omar, 2015 * ''

Kudoa schulmani ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Naidenova & Zaika, 1970 * '' Kudoa sciaenae'' Teran, Llicán & Lugue, 1990 * ''

Kudoa scomberi ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Li, Sato, Tanaka, Ohnishi, Kamata & Sugita-Konishi, 2013 * '' Kudoa scomberomori'' Adlard, Bryant, Whipps & Kent, 2005 * '' Kudoa sebastea'' Aseeva, 2004 * ''

Kudoa septempunctata ''Kudoa septmpunctata'' is a Myxosporea, myxosporean parasite commonly found in raw Olive flounder, olive flounders. The parasite is associated with food poisoning. References

Myxosporea {{Parasite-stub ...

'' Matsukane, Sato, Tanaka, Kamata & Sugita-Konishi, 2010 * ''

Kudoa shiomitsui ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Egusa & Shiomitsu, 1983 * ''

Kudoa shkae ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Dyková, Lom & Overstreet, 1994 * '' Kudoa sphyraeni'' Narasimhamurti & Kalavati, 1979 * '' Kudoa stellula'' Yurakhno, 1991 * ''

Kudoa surabayaensis ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Yunus, Yustinasari, Natalia, Ghosh, Sakuma, Inoue & Sato, 2021 * ''

Kudoa tachysurae ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Sarkar & Mazumder, 1983 * '' Kudoa tetraspora'' Narasimhamurti & Kalavati, 1979 * '' Kudoa thalassomi'' Adlard, Bryant, Whipps & Kent, 2005 * ''

Kudoa thunni ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Matsukane, Sato, Tanaka, Kamata & Sugita-Konishi, 2011 * '' Kudoa thyrsites'' Gilchrist, 1924 * ''

Kudoa trachuri ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Matsukane, Sato, Tanaka, Kamata & Sugita-Konishi, 2011 * ''

Kudoa trifolia ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Holzer, Blasco-Costa, Sarabeev, Ovcharenko & Balbuena, 2006 * ''

Kudoa unicapsula ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Yurakhno, Ovcharenko, Holzer, Sarabeev & Balbuena, 2007 * ''

Kudoa viseuensis ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Monteiro, Da Silva, Hamoy, Sanches & Matos, 2019 * '' Kudoa whippsi'' Burger & Adlard, 2009 * ''

Kudoa yasai ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Cardim, Araújo-Neto, da Silva, Hamoy, Matos & Abrunhosa, 2020 * ''

Kudoa yasunagai ''Kudoa'' is a genus of Myxozoa and the only genus recognized within the monotypic family Kudoidae. There are approximately 100 species of ''Kudoa'' all of which parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' are most commonly known and stu ...

'' Hsieh & Chen, 1984

Development

In Myxozoan development, the

Myxosporea Myxosporea is a class of microscopic animals, all of whom are parasites. They belong to the Myxozoa clade within Cnidaria. They have a complex life cycle that comprises vegetative forms in two hosts—one an aquatic invertebrate (generally an ann ...

n life-stage develops inside a fish host, while the Actinosporean life-stage develops in an

annelid The annelids (), also known as the segmented worms, are animals that comprise the phylum Annelida (; ). The phylum contains over 22,000 extant species, including ragworms, earthworms, and leeches. The species exist in and have adapted to vario ...

host. Fully-developed Myxospores are consumed by annelids and reproduce asexually via schzogony in the gut

epithelium Epithelium or epithelial tissue is a thin, continuous, protective layer of cells with little extracellular matrix. An example is the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin. Epithelial ( mesothelial) tissues line the outer surfaces of man ...

of worms.

Gamete A gamete ( ) is a Ploidy#Haploid and monoploid, haploid cell that fuses with another haploid cell during fertilization in organisms that Sexual reproduction, reproduce sexually. Gametes are an organism's reproductive cells, also referred to as s ...

s are formed in the gut of the worm and these gametes fuse together to create eight

zygote A zygote (; , ) is a eukaryote, eukaryotic cell (biology), cell formed by a fertilization event between two gametes. The zygote's genome is a combination of the DNA in each gamete, and contains all of the genetic information of a new individ ...

s. The zygotes become spores with three valves, 3 polar capsules, and a

that are released in the worm's feces and attach to the surface of a fish host. Once attached to the fish, the gamete injects the sporoplasm cell into the fish. The sporoplast divides forming a fully-developed Myxosporean.

Diet

''Kudoa'' parasitize on marine and estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' typically feed on the

skeletal muscle Skeletal muscle (commonly referred to as muscle) is one of the three types of vertebrate muscle tissue, the others being cardiac muscle and smooth muscle. They are part of the somatic nervous system, voluntary muscular system and typically are a ...

tissue, although some may feed on other parts of the body such as the

central nervous system The central nervous system (CNS) is the part of the nervous system consisting primarily of the brain, spinal cord and retina. The CNS is so named because the brain integrates the received information and coordinates and influences the activity o ...

heart The heart is a muscular Organ (biology), organ found in humans and other animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels. The heart and blood vessels together make the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrie ...

intestines 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. ...

ovaries The ovary () is a gonad in the female reproductive system that produces ova; when released, an ovum travels through the fallopian tube/oviduct into the uterus. There is an ovary on the left and the right side of the body. The ovaries are endocr ...

, or

gills A gill () is a respiratory organ that many aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are ...

. Most ''Kudoa'' are histozoic parasites, however, a few species are coelzoic. The genus ''Kudoa'' attack a wide range of hosts, however, individual species only feed on specific hosts. ''Kudoa'' feed via

pinocytosis In cellular biology, pinocytosis, otherwise known as fluid endocytosis and bulk-phase pinocytosis, is a mode of endocytosis in which small molecules dissolved in extracellular fluid are brought into the cell through an invagination of the cell me ...

across the host-parasite membrane. One species of ''Kudoa, K. thyrsites,'' are distributed worldwide and are believed to have been reported in over 20 different species of fish but it is possible that the species described as ''K. thyrsites'' is actually multiple different species.

Implications for the fishing industry

''Kudoa'' are most well known for the economic loss they cause for the commercial fishing and aquaculture industries. When ''Kudoa'' attach to hosts, they leave unsightly

cyst A cyst is a closed sac, having a distinct envelope and division compared with the nearby tissue. Hence, it is a cluster of cells that have grouped together to form a sac (like the manner in which water molecules group together to form a bubb ...

s that lower the price fish can be sold for at market. ''Kudoa'' also release

proteolytic Proteolysis is the breakdown of proteins into smaller polypeptides or amino acids. Protein degradation is a major regulatory mechanism of gene expression and contributes substantially to shaping mammalian proteomes. Uncatalysed, the hydrolysis o ...

enzymes that degenerate muscle in fish to aid in their own growth and development, further decreasing the fish's value. Some species in the genus ''Kudoa'' with the most notable effects of the commercial fishing and aquaculture industries are: '' K. musculoliquefaciens'' in Broadbill Swordfish (''

Xiphias gladius The swordfish (''Xiphias gladius''), also known as the broadbill in some countries, are large, highly migratory predatory fish characterized by a long, flat, pointed bill. They are the sole member of the family Xiphiidae. They are a popular spo ...

''), '' K. thyrsites'' in Atlantic Salmon (''

Salmo salar The Atlantic salmon (''Salmo salar'') is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Salmonidae. It is the third largest of the Salmonidae, behind Hucho taimen, Siberian taimen and Pacific Chinook salmon, growing up to a meter in length. Atlan ...

''), '' K. clupeidae'' in Atlantic Herring (''

Clupea harengus Atlantic herring (''Clupea harengus'') is a herring in the family Clupeidae. It is one of the most abundant fish species in the world. Atlantic herrings can be found on both sides of the northern Atlantic Ocean, congregating in large schools. ...

''), '' K. septempunctata'' in Olive Flounder (''

Paralichthys olivaceus The olive flounder (''Paralichthys olivaceus''), bastard halibut, Japanese flounder or Korean halibut is a temperate marine species of large-tooth flounder native to the North-western Pacific Ocean. It is the highest valued finfish in the world, ...

''), ''K. thunni'' in Yellowfin Tuna ('' Thunnus albacares'') and '' K. paniformis'' in Pacific Hake (''

Merluccius productus The North Pacific hake, Pacific hake, Pacific whiting, or jack salmon (''Merluccius productus'') is a ray-finned fish in the genus '' Merluccius'', found in the northeast Pacific Ocean from northern Vancouver Island to the northern part of the Gu ...

''). Some studies have found evidence to suggest that some species of ''Kudoa'' are linked to

food-borne illness Foodborne illness (also known as foodborne disease and food poisoning) is any illness resulting from the contamination of food by pathogenic bacteria, viruses, or parasites, as well as prions (the agents of mad cow disease), and toxins such a ...

in humans.

References

Encyclopedia of Life
{{Authority control Kudoidae Cnidarian genera