On the Vegetative Forms and Life History of Chloromyxum Thyrsites Gilchrist and Its Doubtful Systematic Position

Abstract

The association between a myxosporidian parasite, Chloromyxum thyrsites, and "milky" specimens of the gempylid fish Thyrsites atun has been previously described by Johnson and Cleland (1910) and Gilchrist (1924). This association has been again confirmed in the present work with the addition of observations, from post-mortem studies, which show that there is a close correlation between the presence of aggregates of the parasite and the progressive liquefaction of the somatic muscular tissues (the condition of "milkiness" which may affect from 5-7 per cent. of the commercial catches of Thyrsites atun).