SUAIM I'ARASITIC i'R()l\.)/:(JA FoL'Nl) iX SUL'Tli 

 AFRICAN FISHES AND AML'HiBIANS. 



By H. B. Fantham, M.A. Cantab., D.Sc.Fond.. F.Z.S.. 

 Professor of Zoology, C'm'vcrsily L'ollcyc. Joltainicsbiiri/. 



{.Ihstracl.) 



Having been asked to read a paper before Section D of the 

 meeting of the Association in Johannesburg, iyi8, I had pleasure 

 in complying therewith. The ])a[)er can only be considered as 

 preliminary, for I wish merely to record for the first time the 

 presence of the following parasitic Protozoa in South Africa, 

 reserving details for a future occasion. 



Ihe Protozoa of fishes were discovered while working at St. 

 James Marine Aquarium, near Capetown, during January and 

 February, iyi8. I have much [)leasure in thanking Professor 

 Gilchrist for his kindness to me while conducting my researches. 

 Jhe parasitised Amphibia were s])ecimens of the clawed toad, 

 Xcfiopus Icrvis, and were obtained in the neighbourhood of 

 Johannesburg. The I'rotozoa found may be grouped according 

 to their systematic position. 



SAi'tcoDiNA. — A motile anweba was found in the digestive 

 tract of the bamboo lish. Bo.v salpa. There was a tactile pseudo- 

 podium turning upwards, and the nucleus of the amtjeba contained 

 a large karyosome. The morphology of the organism suggested 

 that it was closely related to .Iniaha Umax, sometimes placed in a 

 separate genus, l^ihlkaiiipfia. 



MastigophoR-\. — In the large intestine of the harder, Mugil 

 capita, a Trichomonas was founfl. A Trypaiiosom<i' was found 

 in the blood of the skate. Rata capciisis. and in the l)lood from the 

 gills of the leer visch, Lichia amia. 



Sporozoa. — Haemogregarines were seen in the red blood cor- 

 jjuscles of the bull klip hsh. Cliniis taiinis. A larger hc'cmogrega- 

 rine was also seen in the erythrocytes of the " plathander." Xcno- 

 pusUcvis. Coccidia were found in the intestine of kli]) hsh. ( liuits 

 superciliosus. Some of the coccidia were seen in the epithelial 

 lining of the intestine, and oocysts were found in the rectal con- 

 tents. Some interesting Myxo.sporidia were found in the gall- 

 bladder and contained bile of the bull klip fish, Cliniis faiirus. 

 The parasites belonged to the genus Myxidium. and produced 

 changes in the colour and fluidity of the bile, which was yellowish 

 instead of green, and somewhat turbid, while the wall of the 

 gall-bladder was thickened, i have previously described (1912), 

 while working in France, similar derangements in the digestive 

 ])rocesses of fish, due to alterations in the bile caused by various 

 Myxosporidia. Dentex argyrosoiia were also found similarly 

 infected with Myxidium. 



Infusoria. — A ciliate, allied to the genus Ichihyophihiriiis. 

 was found on the skin, and sometimes on the gills of marine fish, 



