Reclassification of eimeria schmidti Al-Yousif et al. (1997) (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) with description of its endogenous stages

Eimeria schmidti was previously described as a new species found in the gallbladder of sandy fringed-toed lizards acanthodactylus schmidti in saudi arabia. according to the oocyst morphology,site of infection and endogenous development,the coccidium was transferred to genus choleoeimeria and renamed choleoeimeria schmidti. meronts,gamonts and young oocysts were detected and described at light and electron-microscopic level. merozoites with a large number of micronemes and long rhopteries were observed and their nuclei were seen located posteriorly. microgamonts contained many nuclei at their margins. these nuclei had homogenate cytoplasm and did not likely have nucleoli. macrogamonts were recognized by their nuclei each with a nucleolus and characterized by wall-forming bodies 1 and 2. all stages contained electron-dense inclusions and vacuoles,which appeared to be one of the characteristic features of choleoeimeria. © 2011 zoological society of pakistan.