On the Epidemiology of Xenoma-Forming Microsporidia in Wild Caught Fish from Macaronesia (FAO34)

Microsporidia are a group of obligate intracellular parasites with a broad host range. These parasites can cause mild to severe harm to their hosts, making them important targets for research. However, studies on common wild-caught fish from the Atlantic Eastern Central Zone (FAO Area 34) remain scarce. 576 individuals across 35 fish species from this region were collected from local markets between 2011 and 2019. The specimens were dissected, and lesions were examined using histology, wet mounts, PCR, and transmission electron microscopy. However, microsporidian infection was detected only in round sardinella (<i>Sardinella</i> (<i>S.</i>) <i>aurita</i>), with 19 out of 39 individuals infected. Parasitized fish weighed nearly half as much as non-infected ones, indicating a potentially significant economic impact. Molecular and ultrastructural analyses identified the parasite as <i>Glugea</i> (<i>G.</i>) <i>thunni</i>, a species previously reported only from the Mediterranean Sea. This study provides the first record of <i>G. thunni</i> in FAO Area 34, with round sardinella likely serving as its primary host. This and other closely related sequences may represent a single taxonomic entity or, more likely, a complex of a few cryptic species geographically separated across the Mediterranean Sea and the eastern and western North Atlantic regions.