What are the Myxozoa?
Q: What are the Myxozoa?
A: Myxozoa are a group of parasitic animals found in aquatic environments.
Q: What is the life cycle of many Myxozoa species?
A: Many Myxozoa species have a two-host life cycle, involving a fish and an annelid worm or bryozoan.
Q: Are Myxozoa considered as parasitic protozoa?
A: Myxozoa were once considered as parasitic protozoa, but are now known to be members of the phylum Cnidaria.
Q: What is the importance of Myxobolus cerebralis?
A: Some Myxozoa species, such as Myxobolus cerebralis, are important parasites of fishes that people eat.
Q: How many species of Myxozoa have been described?
A: Over 1300 species of Myxozoa have been described.
Q: What did the analysis of 50 coding genes from Buddenbrockia show about Myxozoa?
A: The analysis of 50 coding genes from Buddenbrockia showed that Myxozoa were severely modified members of the Cnidaria phylum.
Q: What is the similarity between myxozoan 'polar capsules' and cnidarian nematocysts?
A: Myxozoan 'polar capsules' and cnidarian nematocysts (stinging cells) have similarities, which were previously thought to be the result of convergent evolution.
