Haemogregarina

Haemogregarina
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Chromalveolata
Phylum:	Apicomplexa
Class:	Conoidasida
Order:	Eucoccidiorida
Suborder:	Adeleorina
Family:	Haemogregarinidae
Genus:	Haemogregarina Danilewsky, 1885

Haemogregarina is a genus of haemoprotozoans, parasitic mainly on cold-blooded vertebrates. They are unicellular organisms which are parasitic in the red blood cells.

History

It was described in 1885 by Danilewsky from the European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis).

General description

These parasites are generally considered non-pathogenic, and have been described in the red blood cells of desert tortoises. They are elongate to fusiform oval organisms found in the red blood cells. Although the size varies, they are larger than the cell’s nucleus. The organism stains a basophilic colour and has a surrounding clear zone.

Taxonomy

Four genera are recognised in this family.

Karyolysus
Haemogregarina
Hepatozoon
Cyrilia

The genera are distinguished on the basis of the sporogony in the invertebrate vector. However in many cases the vector is not known and the species have been allocated to the genus Haemogregarina sensu latu pending identification. This somewhat unsatisfactory situation may be improved by DNA sequence analysis in the near future. For this reason the species listed here may subsequently be moved to a new genus or even new family.

The following species are recognised:

• Haemogregarina acanthoclini Laird, 1953
• Haemogregarina anarhichadis Henry, 1912
• Haemogregarina balistapi
• Haemogregarina bettencourti França, 1908
• Haemogregarina bigemina Laveran & Mesnil, 1901
• Haemogregarina blanchardi Brumpt & Lebailly, 1904
• Haemogregarina bothi Lebailly, 1905
• Haemogregarina carchariasi Laveran, 1908
• Haemogregarina clavata Neumann, 1909
• Haemogregarina coelorhynchi Laird, 1952
• Haemogregarina cotti Brumpt & Lebailly, 1904
• Haemogregarina curvata Hayes, Smit, Seddon, Wertheim & Davies, 2006
• Haemogregarina dakarensis Léger & Leger, 1920
• Haemogregarina dasyatis Saunders, 1958
• Haemogregarina delagei Laveran & Mesnil, 1901
• Haemogregarina gobii Brumpt & Lebailly, 1904
• Haemogregarina gobionis Franchini & Saini, 1923
• Haemogregarina hartochi Kohl-Yakimoff & Yakimoff, 1915
• Haemogregarina hemiscyllii Mackerras & Mackerras, 1961
• Haemogregarina heterodontii von Prowazek, 1910
• Haemogregarina hoplichthys Laird, 1952
• Haemogregarina johnstoni Davis & Merrett, 2000
• Haemogregarina koppiensis Smit & Davies, 2001
• Haemogregarina laternae Lebailly, 1904
• Haemogregarina leptocotti Hill & Hendrickson, 1991
• Haemogregarina leptoscopi Laird, 1952
• Haemogregarina lobiani Yakimov & Kohl-Yakimov, 1912 emend Levine, 1985
• Haemogregarina londoni Yakimov & Kohl-Yakimov, 1912
• Haemogregarina marzinowskii Yakimov & Kohl-Yakimov, 1912
• Haemogregarina mavori Laird & Bullock, 1969
• Haemogregarina minuta Neumann, 1909
• Haemogregarina myoxocephali Fantham, Porter & Richardson, 1942
• Haemogregarina parmae Mackerras & Mackerras, 1925
• Haemogregarina platessae Lebailly, 1904
• Haemogregarina polypartita Neumann, 1909
• Haemogregarina quadrigemina Brumpt & Lebailly, 1904
• Haemogregarina roelofsi Hill & Hendrickson, 1991
• Haemogregarina rubrimarensis Saunders, 1960
• Haemogregarina sachai Kirmse, 1978
• Haemogregarina salariasi Laird, 1951
• Haemogregarina scorpaenae Neumann, 1909
• Haemogregarina simondi Laveran & Mesnil, 1901
• Haemogregarina tetraodontis Mackerras & Mackerras, 1961
• Haemogregarina torpedinis Neumann, 1909
• Haemogregarina wladimirovi Yakimov & Kohl-Yakimov, 1912
• Haemogregarina yakimovikohli Wladimiroff, 1910 emend Levine, 1985