Abstract
A synopsis of Ortholinea Shulman, 1962 (Cnidaria: Myxosporea: Ortholineidae) is presented and identifies 26 nominal species presently allocated within this genus. Species morphological and morphometric features, tissue tropism, type-host, and type-locality are provided from original descriptions. Data from subsequent redescriptions and reports is also given. Accession numbers to sequences deposited in GenBank are indicated when available, and the myxospores were redrawn based on original descriptions. The information gathered shows that Ortholinea infect a wide taxonomic variety of freshwater and marine fish. Nonetheless, the broad host specificity reported for several species is not fully supported by morphological descriptions and requires molecular corroboration. The members of this genus are coelozoic and mainly parasitize the urinary system, with few species occurring in the gallbladder. Ortholinea visakhapatnamensis is the only exception, being histozoic in the visceral peritoneum. Molecular data of the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene (SSU rDNA) is available for about one third of Ortholinea species, with genetic interspecific variation ranging between 1.65% and 29.1%. Phylogenetic analyses reveal Ortholinea to be polyphyletic, with available SSU rDNA sequences clustering within the subclades of the highly heterogenous freshwater urinary clade of the oligochaete-infecting lineage. The life cycles of two Ortholinea species have been clarified based on molecular inferences and identify triactinomyxon actinospores as counterparts, and marine oligochaetes of the family Naididae as permissive hosts to this genus.