''Calyptospora'' is a genus of

parasitic Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson has c ...

protozoa Protozoa (singular: protozoan or protozoon; alternative plural: protozoans) are a group of single-celled eukaryotes, either free-living or parasitic, that feed on organic matter such as other microorganisms or organic tissues and debris. Histo ...

in the

phylum In biology, a phylum (; plural: phyla) is a level of classification or taxonomic rank below kingdom and above class. Traditionally, in botany the term division has been used instead of phylum, although the International Code of Nomenclature f ...

Apicomplexa The Apicomplexa (also called Apicomplexia) are a large phylum of parasitic alveolates. Most of them possess a unique form of organelle that comprises a type of non-photosynthetic plastid called an apicoplast, and an apical complex structure. T ...

. This genus and family was created in 1984 for the species ''Eimeria funduli'' because of morphological differences in the sporocyst suggested that it was not a typical member of the genus ''

Eimeria ''Eimeria'' is a genus of apicomplexan parasites that includes various species capable of causing the disease coccidiosis in animals such as cattle, poultry and smaller ruminants including sheep and goats. ''Eimeria'' species are considered to be ...

''.Overstreet RM, Hawkins WE, Fournie JW (1984) The Coccidian Genus ''Calyptospora'' n. g. and Family ''Calyptosporidae'' n. fam. (Apicomplexa), with members infecting primarily fishes. J Euk Micro 31 (2) 332–339 The type species is ''Calyptospora funduli''.

Life cycle

These parasites infect the livers of their

fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of li ...

hosts which they appear to reach via the gastrointestinal tract. They have an obligatory intermediate host - usually a

shrimp Shrimp are crustaceans (a form of shellfish) with elongated bodies and a primarily swimming mode of locomotion – most commonly Caridea and Dendrobranchiata of the decapod order, although some crustaceans outside of this order are refer ...

- in which they infect the enterocytes of the shrimp gut. The life cycle appears to be as follows: infected fish excrete the parasites from their gastrointestinal tract into which they are secreted with the

bile Bile (from Latin ''bilis''), or gall, is a dark-green-to-yellowish-brown fluid produced by the liver of most vertebrates that aids the digestion of lipids in the small intestine. In humans, bile is produced continuously by the liver (liver bile ...

. An intermediate host such as a shrimp ingests the parasite which then decysts and infects the gut wall of the shrimp. The shrimp is then ingested by a fish whereupon the parasite is released and invades the fish's gut wall. The parasites then travel via the

blood Blood is a body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells. Blood in the c ...

stream to the

liver The liver is a major Organ (anatomy), organ only found in vertebrates which performs many essential biological functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the Protein biosynthesis, synthesis of proteins and biochemicals necessary for ...

wherein they mature.

Description

The sporocyst lacks Stieda bodies and sub-Stieda bodies, has a veil supported by sporopodia and has an anterior apical opening. A suture may be present but if present it does not completely divide the sporocyst into two valves.

Phylogenetics

This clade appears to be monophyletic and a sister group to the genus ''

''.Whipps CM, Fournie JW, Morrison DA, Azevedo C, Matos E, Thebo P, Kent ML (2012) Phylogeny of fish-infecting ''Calyptospora'' species (Apicomplexa: Eimeriorina). Parasitol Res

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q18711821 Apicomplexa genera