Figure 3

Matrix of myxozoan characters evaluated in the analysis of character evolution. Myxozoan ML tree based on SSU rDNA (GenBank AccNos. are behind the species names) is completed with character matrix, which is coded as follows: Number of valves: 0 - two, 1 - more than two. Shape of spore: 0 - spherical or subspherical, 1 - flattened sphere, 2 - ellipsoidal, 3 - flattened ellipsoid, 4 - banana or crescent, 4 - stellate, 5 - spindle, 6 - droplike. Ratio of dimensions of spore width to thickness: 0 - thickness larger than width, 1 - width larger than thickness, 2 - width equal to thickness. Surface ridges and striations: 0 - absent, 1 - present. Projections of the spore: 0 - no projections, 1 - caudal appendages, 2 - filamentous, 3 - bulges. Shape of suture line: 0 - straight, 1 - curved. Number of polar capsules (PCs): 0 - one, 1 - two, 2 - three, 3 - four, 4 - five and more. Orientation of PCs to a plane of the suture: 0 -PCs in the apex of the spore are set in the sutural plane, 1 - PCs are set in a plane essentially perpendicular to the suture plane. Location of PCs and sporoplasm: 0 -PCs at anterior part and sporoplasm posteriorly, 1 - PCs at opposite ends and sporoplasm in the middle. Shape of PCs: 0 - spherical or subspherical, 1 - pyriform. Position of anterior ends of PCs: 0 - convergent, 1 - divergent. Character of polar filament: 0 - tubular, 1 -flattened. Number of sporoplasms: 0 - one, 1 - two. Mucous envelope: 0 - absent, 1 - present. Membranaceous veil: 0 - absent, 1 - present. Vegetative stages: 0 -polysporic, 1 - small mono or disporic. Site of infection: 0 - coelozoic, 1 - histozoic. Site specificity: 0 - gall bladder and biliary ducts, 1 - renal tubules, 2 - urinary bladder, 3 - muscle, 4 - intestine, 5 - gills or pseudobranchs, 6 - without site specificity, 7 - nervous system, 8 - ovary, 9 - cartilage. Host: 0 - fish, 1 - amphibian, 2 - reptile, 3 - elasmobranchs, 4 - mammal, 5 - bird. Host environment: 0 - freshwater, 1 - marine, 2 - terrestrial.