''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 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 ...

marine Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military * ...

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 environment ...

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 commercial profit, mostly from wild fisheries. It provides a large quantity of food to many countries around the world, but those who practice it as an industry must often ...

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. lot ...

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 Quadrate may refer to: * Quadrate bone * Quadrate (heraldry) * Quadrate lobe of liver * Quadrate tubercle The quadrate tubercle is a small tubercle found upon the upper part of the femur. It serves as a point of insertion of the quadratus femori ...

stellate Stellate, meaning star-shaped, may refer to: * Stellate cell * Stellate ganglion * Stellate reticulum * Stellate veins * Stellate trichomes (hairs) on plants * Stellate laceration or incision Wound#Open * Stellate fan-shaped Espalier (one form ...

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. ...

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

Chloromyxum ''Chloromyxum'' is a genus of parasitic, myxosporean cnidarians belonging to the family Chloromyxidae. The species of this genus are found in Northern America and Australia. Species: *''Chloromyxum argusi'' *'' Chloromyxum atlantoraji'' *''C ...

'' because of the distribution of their polar capsules, however, it was later determined to be a separate genus. Each ''Kudoa'' has two sporoplasm 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 oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

, Pacific, and Indian oceans.

Species

The following species are recognized in the genus ''Kudoa'': * '' Kudoa aequidens'' Casal, Matos, Matos & Azevedo, 2008 * ''

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 stud ...

'' 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 Parasitism, parasitize on Marine life, marine and Estuary, estuarine fish. ''Kudoa'' ...

'' Kovaleva, Shulman & Yakolev, 1979 * '' Kudoa amamiensis'' Egusa & Nakajima, 1978 * '' Kudoa azoni'' Aseeva, 2004 * '' Kudoa barracudai'' Abdel-Baki, Al-Quraishy, Omar & Mansour, 2016 * '' Kudoa boopsi'' Kpatcha, Diebakate, Faye & Toguebaye, 1999 * '' Kudoa bora'' (Fujita, 1930) * '' Kudoa camarguensis'' Pampoulie, Marques, Crivelli & Boucherau, 1999 * '' Kudoa cascasia'' Sarkar & Chaudry, 1996 * '' Kudoa caudata'' Kovaleva & Gaevskaya, 1983 * '' Kudoa chaetodoni'' Burger, Cribb & Adlard, 2007 * '' Kudoa chilkaensis'' Tripathi, 1951 * '' Kudoa ciliatae'' Lom, Rohde & Dyková, 1992 * ''

Kudoa clupeidae ''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 stud ...

'' (Hahn, 1917) * '' Kudoa crumena'' Iversen & van Meter, 1967 * ''

Kudoa cynoglossi ''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 stud ...

'' Obiekezie & Lick, 1994 * ''

Kudoa dianae ''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 st ...

'' Dyková, Fajer & Fiala, 2002 * '' Kudoa empressmichikoae'' Kasai, Setsuda & Sato, 2017 * '' Kudoa funduli'' Hahn, 1915 * '' Kudoa grammatorcyni'' Adlard, Bryant, Whipps & Kent, 2005 * '' Kudoa hexapunctata'' Yokoyama, Suzuki & Shirakashi, 2014 * ''

Kudoa histolytica ''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 stud ...

'' (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 stud ...

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

Kudoa inornata ''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 studi ...

'' Dykova, de Buron, Fiala, Roumillat, 2009 * ''

Kudoa insolita ''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 st ...

'' Shulman & Kovalijova, 1979 * ''

Kudoa intestinalis ''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 stud ...

'' Maeno, Magasawa & Sorimachi, 1993 * ''

Kudoa islandica ''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 stud ...

'' Kristmundsson & Freeman, 2014 * ''

Kudoa iwatai ''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 studi ...

'' Egusa & Shiomitsu, 1983 * '' Kudoa kabatai'' Shulman & Kovalijova, 1979 * ''

Kudoa kenti ''Kudoa kenti'' is a myxosporean parasite of marine 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 a ...

'' Burger & Adlard, 2009 * '' Kudoa lateolabracis'' Yokoyama, Whipps, Kent, Mizuno & Kawakami, 2004 * ''

Kudoa leiostomi ''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 lemniscati ''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 stud ...

'' 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 studi ...

'' 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 studi ...

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

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 studi ...

'' Lom, Dyková & Lhotákova, 1983 * '' Kudoa lutjanus'' Wang, Huang, Tsai, Cheng, Tsai, Chen, Chen, Chiu, Liaw, Chang & Chen, 2005 * ''

Kudoa megacapsula ''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 studi ...

'' Yokoyama & Itoh, 2005 * '' Kudoa miniauriculata'' Whitaker, Kent & Sakanari, 1996 * ''

Kudoa minithyrsites ''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 studi ...

'' 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 st ...

'' Gunter, Cribb, Whipps & Adlard, 2006 * '' Kudoa muscularis'' (C