Haemogregarina is a genus of haemoprotozoans, parasitic mainly on cold-blooded

Poikilotherm

A poikilotherm is an organism whose internal temperature varies considerably. It is the opposite of a homeotherm, an organism which maintains thermal homeostasis. Usually the variation is a consequence of variation in the ambient environmental temperature...

 vertebrate

Vertebrate

Vertebrates are animals that are members of the subphylum Vertebrata . Vertebrates are the largest group of chordates, with currently about 58,000 species described. Vertebrates include the jawless fishes, bony fishes, sharks and rays, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds...

s. 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

Karyolysus

Karyolysus is a genus of coccidia. With the exception of K. sonomae whose vertebrate host is the yellow legged frog species in this genus only infect lizards of the genus Lacerta.-History:...

Haemogregarina

Hepatozoon

Hepatozoon

Hepatozoon is a genus of Apicomplexan protozoa which incorporates over 300 species obligate intraerythrocytic parasites. Species have been described from all groups of tetrapod vertebrates, as well as a wide range of haematophagous arthropods, which serve as both the vectors and definitive hosts of...

Cyrilia

Cyrilia

Cyrilia is a genus of parasitic protoza in the phylum Apicomplexia. The genus was created by Lainson in 1981. Species in this genus infect fresh water fish and are transmitted by leeches.-Life cycle:...

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