Hepatozoon parasites (Apicomplexa: Hepatozoidae) in fish Hoplias aimara (Characiformes, Erythrinidae) from the Eastern Amazon, Brazil

This study reports the occurrence of parasites belonging to the Hepatozoon genus in fish Hoplias aimara from the Eastern Amazon. Fish ( n = 54) were sampled from the Falsino River, located in the Amapá National Forest (FLONA), in the state of Amapá, northern Brazil. Fresh liver preparations were examined in the field between a slide and a coverslip under a light microscope. Cysts containing Hepatozoon cystozoites were observed in the liver of 5 (9%) out of 54 H. aimara individuals. The cysts were ovoid (mean dimensions 10.28 × 9.8 μm), presenting up to four elongated cystozoites (mean dimensions 11.04 × 1.68 μm), containing 1 to 4 residual bodies of different sizes. A single liver sample containing cysts was submitted to DNA extraction and PCR analyses based on a fragment of the 18S rRNA gene. The sequencing revealed a 465 bp fragment exhibiting 99% query coverage, 0.0 E -value, and 98.7% identity with Hepatozoon caimani (MF322538 and MF322539), detected in caimans ( Caiman yacare ) from Brazil. This is the first report of the occurrence of cysts containing Hepatozoon cystozoites in free-living fishes.