Fig. 1.

Life cycles of M. cerebralis and P. hydriforme. (A) M. cerebralis alternates its development between a fish (salmonid) host and an annelid (T. tubifex) host. The myxospore is produced in the fish (Right), and the actinospore is produced in the annelid (Left). Both stages consist of just a few cells, including those housing polar capsules. (B) In P. hydriforme, the stolon stage (Top) develops inside the ovaries of its host (acipenceriform fish). Upon host spawning, P. hydriforme emerges from the host’s oocyte (Right), fragments, and lives as a free-living stage with a mouth (Left) before infecting its host.