Two new species of coccidia, Epieimeria ocellata n. sp. and Goussia floridana n. sp., were found in the intestine of red drum Sciaenops ocellatus (L.) (Sciaenidae) in Florida, USA. Merogony and gamogony stages of both species were "epicellular" in the microvillous region at epithelial cell apices. In E. ocellata, sporogony was intracellular, with endogenous sporulation. Fresh, mature oocysts were roughly spherical (9.6 mu m long x 9.3 mu m wide) and had no oocyst residuum. Sporocysts were ellipsoidal (6.9 mu m long x 4.1 mu m wide) and had a distinct Stieda body. Sporozoites were thick (5.6 mu m long x 1.8 mu m wide), were aligned side by side, and had flexed ends. In G. floridana, sporogony was extracellular, with exogenous sporulation. Fresh, mature oocysts were subspherical (19.9 mu m long x 15.9 mu m wide) and had no oocyst residuum. Sporocysts were ellipsoidal (12.6 mu m long x 7.5 mu m wide) and had an indistinct suture line. The sporocyst residuum consisted of 1 to 14 granules. Sporozoites were thick (11.0 mu m long x 3.9 mu m wide) and occupied most of the sporocyst. |
