The Plasmodiidae are a family of apicomplexan parasites, including the type genus Plasmodium, which is responsible for malaria.
This family was erected in 1903 by Mesnil and is one of the four families in the order Haemospororida.
Diagnostic criteria
The diagnostic criteria of the Plasmodiidae are:
Macrogametes and microgamonts develop independently
Meiosis is absent
Microgametocyte produces eight flagellated microgametes
Zygote is motile (known as an ookinete)
Conoid present in ookinete stage only
Sporozoites naked in oocyst (that is without a sporocyst)
Sporozoites have three walls
Heteroxenous: merogony and gamogony occur in vertebrate host, and fertilization and sporogony in definitive host (a blood-sucking insect)
Hemozoin pigment is produced
Taxonomy
The family Plasmodiidae has three sister taxa in the order Haemospororida: the families Garniidae, Haemoproteidae, and Leucocytozoidae.
The Haemoproteidae and the Plasmodiidae both produce pigment, and these have been placed in the suborder Laveraniina.
Neither the Haemoproteidae nor the Leucocytozoidae have an asexual cycle in the peripheral blood.
The Garniidae do not produce pigment, but do have an asexual cycle in the blood.
They appear to be the earliest diverging clade in this group.
The Plasmodiidae contain these genera:
Genus Bioccala Landau et al 1984
Genus Biguetiella Landau et al 1984
Genus Billbraya Paperna & Landau 1990
Genus Dionisia Landau et al 1980
Genus Hepatocystis Miller 1908
Genus Mesnilium Misra, Haldar & Chakravarty 1972
Genus Nycteria Garnham and Heisch 1953
Genus Plasmodium Marchiafava & Celli 1885
Subgenus Asiamoeba Telford 1988
Subgenus Bennettinia Valkiūnas 1997
Subgenus Carinamoeba Garnham 1966
Subgenus Giovannolaia Corradetti, Garnham & Laird 1963
Subgenus Haemamoeba Grassi & Feletti 1890
Subgenus Huffia Garnham & Laird 1963
Subgenus Lacertaemoba Telford 1988
Subgenus Laverania Bray 1963
Subgenus Novyella Corradetti, Garnham & Laird 1963
Subgenus Ophidiella Garnham 1966
Subgenus Paraplasmodium Telford 1988
Subgenus Plasmodium Bray 1963 emend.
Garnham 1964
Subgenus Sauramoeba Garnham 1966
Subgenus Vinckeia Garnham 1964
Genus Polychromophilus Landau et al 1984
Genus Rayella Dasgupta 1967
Genus Saurocytozoon Lainson & Shaw 1969
Genus †Vetufebrus Poinar 2011
The genus Mesnilium is the only taxon that infects fish.
The genus has a single species and has been reported only once.
This genus may have been mistakenly placed in this genus.
DNA studies are likely to be needed to clarify this point.
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