Myxidium tictoi n. sp., a myxozoan parasite infecting kidney of fresh water barb Puntius ticto (Hamilton, 1822) from river Gomti, Lucknow (U.P).

Puntius ticto is a freshwater barb with commercial importance in India. It is soft and wild fish, highly prone to parasitic infections. The present article describes, morphological and morphometric details of the new species of Myxidium identified as Myxidium tictoi n.sp. from the kidney of Puntius ticto. Plasmodia were histozoic and embedded in the kidney. The intensity of infection was high. Mature spores were elongated, typically fusiform in shape with blunt pointed ends measuring 11.53-14.21 (13.10 ± 0.53) × 4.13-5.37 (4.67 ± 0.27) μm in size. The present species was compared with species found from the same organ and other resembling species as M. rhodei, M. misgurni, M. pseudobagrusi, M. aristichthysi, M. sangei, M. cruzi. Up till now, there is no evidence of any Myxidium species reported from Puntius ticto worldwide. © Indian Society for Parasitology 2019.