Virus-like particles in Urastoma cyprinae, a turbellarian parasite of Mytilus galloprovincialis.

Urastoma cyprinae is a turbellarian parasite infecting the gills of several marine bivalves. We observed the presence of virus-like particles (24 to 30 nm in diameter; icosahedral symmetry) arranged in paracrystalline arrays in the cytoplasm of subepidermal dorsal cells. These particles appear to be RNA viruses, possibly related to the Picornaviridae. This is the first report of viral particles in the parasite U. cyprinae.

Parasites of swordfish from the Gulf of Guinea.

Ten parasite species were identified after a study carried out on 125 swordfish from the Gulf of Guinea waters. The samples were taken between August and November 1997; 3 of the parasite species, Caligus coryphaenae. Pelichnibothrium speciossum, and Sphyriocephalus viridis were recorded for the first time on this host.