Aggregata

Aggregata
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Clade:	Diaphoretickes
Clade:	SAR
Clade:	Alveolata
Phylum:	Apicomplexa
Class:	Marosporida
Family:	Aggregatidae
Genus:	Aggregata Frenzel, 1885  [1]
Species
Aggregata andresi Aggregata bathytherma Aggregata coelomica Aggregata conformi Aggregata dobelli Aggregata dromiae Aggregata eberthi Aggregata inachi Aggregata jacquementi Aggregata kudoi Aggregata leandri Aggregata maxima Aggregata millerorum Aggregata octopiana Aggregata ovata Aggregata patagonica Aggregata portunidarum Aggregata reticulosa Aggregata sagittata Aggregata schneideri Aggregata sepiae Aggregata siedleckii Aggregata spinosa Aggregata stellata Aggregata vagans Aggregata valdessensis

Aggregata is a genus of parasitic alveolates belonging to the phylum Apicomplexa.

Taxonomy

The organism found in the octopus was first named as Benedenia octopiana by Schneider in 1875. Since Benedenia was preoccupied, Eucoccidium was proposed as a replacement name by Lühe in 1903. The genus Aggregata was named by Frenzel in 1885 for parasites in a crustacean. These were later shown as two stages in the lifecycle of an identical organism by Léger and Duboscq.

This genus appears to be related to the adelinids and Hepatozoon but this needs confirmation. ^[2]

Life cycle

The life cycle was determined in 1914. These parasites are heteroxenous, with two hosts in their life cycle. Sexual stages are found in the digestive tract of cephalopods and asexual stages infect the digestive tract of crustaceans.

The parasites undergo merogony and gametogony in the digestive tract and sometimes in the other tissues of the cephalopod. The oocysts may be passed in the stool or form within the tissues of the cephalopod. When the oocysts are ingested by a crustacean - frequently a crab - they decyst and infect the digestive tract of the crustacean. The life cycle is completed when the crustacean is eaten by a cephalopod.

Host records

• Aggregata andresi - ommastrephid squid ( Martialia hyadesi ) ^[3]
• Aggregata bathytherma - Vulcanoctopus hydrothermalis ^[4]
• Aggregata dobelli - Giant Pacific octopus ( Octopus dofleini martini ) ^[5]
• Aggregata eberthi - common cuttlefish ( Sepia officinalis )
• Aggregata kudio - Sepia elliptica
• Aggregata maxima - Sergestes robustus
• Aggregata millerorum - California two spotted octopus ( Octopus bimaculoides ) ^[5]
• Aggregata octopiana - common octopus ( Octopus vulgaris ) ^[6]
• Aggregata patagonica - Southern red octopus ( Enteroctopus megalocyathus ) ^[7]
• Aggregata sagittata - European flying squid ( Todarodes sagittatus ) ^[8]
• Aggregata vagans - Eupagurus species
• Aggregata valdessensis - Octopus tehuelchus ^[7]

Synonyms

• Aggregata duboscqiMoroff 1908 - Aggregata coelomica
• Aggregata frenzeliMoroff 1908 - Aggregata eberthi
• Aggregata mamillanaMoroff 1908 - Aggregata eberthi
• Aggregata mingazziniiMoroff 1908 - Aggregata eberthi
• Aggregata minimaMoroff 1908 - Aggregata eberthi

References

1. "Aggregata Frenzel, 1885". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. 2011. Retrieved June 15, 2012.
2. Kopecná J, Jirků M, Oborník M, Tokarev YS, Lukes J, Modrý D (2006) Phylogenetic analysis of coccidian parasites from invertebrates: search for missing links. Protist 157(2):173-183
3. Gestal C, Nigmatullin Ch M, Hochberg FG, Guerra A and Pascual S (2005) Aggregata andresi n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Aggregatidae) from the ommastrephid squid Martialia hyadesi in the SW Atlantic Ocean and some general remarks on Aggregata spp. in cephalopod hosts. System Parasitol 60(1) 65-73 doi : 10.1007/s11230-004-1385-6
4. Gestal C, Pascual S, Hochberg FG (2010) Aggregata bathytherma sp. nov. (Apicomplexa: Aggregatidae), a new coccidian parasite associated with a deep-sea hydrothermal vent octopus. Inter-Research 91(3) 237-242
5. Poynton SL, Reimschuessel R, Stoskopf MK (1992) Aggregata dobelli n. sp. and Aggregata millerorum n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Aggregatidae) from two species of octopus (Mollusca: Octopodidae) from the Eastern North Pacific Ocean. J Euk Micro 39(1) 248–256 doi : 10.1111/j.1550-7408.1992.tb01309.x
6. Gestal C, Abollo E, Pascual S (2002) Observations on associated histopathology with Aggregata octopiana infection (Protista: Apicomplexa) in Octopus vulgaris. Dis Aquat Organ 50(1):45-49
7. Sardella NH, Ré ME, Timi JT (2000) Two new Aggregata species (Apicomplexa: Aggregatidae) infecting Octopus tehuelchus and Enteroctopus megalocyathus (Mollusca: Octopodidae) in Patagonia, Argentina. J Parasitol 86(5):1107-1113 doi : 10.1645/0022-3395(2000)086[1107:TNASAA 2.0.CO;2]
8. Gestal C, Guerra A, Abollo E, Pascual S (2000) Aggregata sagittata n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Aggregatidae), a coccidian parasite from the European flying squid Todarodes sagittatus (Mollusca: Cephalopoda). Syst Parasitol 47(3):203-206