Haemogregarinidae

Haemogregarinidae

 

a family of parasitic protozoa of the order Adeleida and the class Sporozoa. There are four genera: Klossiella, Hepatozoon, Haemogregarina, and Karyolysus. They are parasites of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Asexual reproduction (schizogony) takes place in erythrocytes (in the Haemogregarina) and in the endothelia of blood vessels (in the Klossiella and Karyolysus), or else in the internal organs of vertebrates (in the Hepatozoon). The sexual process and sporogony take place within the organism of the host animal, which may be leeches, insects, or ticks.