Ichthyobodo infections on farmed and wild fish - Methods for detection and identification of Ichthyobodo spp

................................................................................................................... 6 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 7 History – The first descriptions of the parasite and disease ....................................... 7 Morphology and nomenclature ................................................................................. 10 Taxonomy ................................................................................................................. 16 The early studies: Light microscopical characters ................................................ 16 In the age of electron microscopy ......................................................................... 17 Introduction of molecular characteristics ............................................................. 18 Ultrastructure ............................................................................................................ 21 Hosts and geographical range of Ichthyobodo spp. .................................................. 24 The biology of Ichthyobodo spp. .............................................................................. 34 Ichthyobodosis .......................................................................................................... 36 Norwegian fish farming ............................................................................................ 38 AIMS OF STUDY ........................................................................................................ 40 SUMMARY OF PAPERS ............................................................................................ 41 SYNTHESIS ................................................................................................................. 43 Major achievements of the study .............................................................................. 43 Species complex in the genus Ichthyobodo .............................................................. 44 Nomenclature ........................................................................................................ 44 Morphology........................................................................................................... 45 SSU rDNA diversity of Ichthyobodo spp. ............................................................ 56 Epizootiology ............................................................................................................ 62 Conclusion and future aspects .................................................................................. 66 References ..................................................................................................................... 68