Cirranter

Cirranter Jankowski, 1964 (ref. ID; 2014, 4818)

Class Polyhymenophora: Subclass Spirotricha: Order Heterotrichida: Suborder Armophorina (ref. ID; 2014)
Heterotrichida: Family Caenomorphidae (ref. ID; 4818)

[ref. ID; 2014]
Body irregularly pyriform with a thick pellicle forming an anterior body shield. Somatic cilia absent but there is a long tuft of caudal cilia and a single anterior row of cirri. The stripe of perizonal cilia spirals around the body above the AZM. Posterior spines absent. Single macronucleus and micronucleus present. Sapropelic. Most easily confused with the genera Ludio and Caenomorpha both of which have posterior spines. In addition Ludio has 2 very long anterior cirri and Caenomorpha may have 1 or 2 rows of anterior cirri. Single species genus described by Jankowski from Russia.
Quote; Colin R. Curds, Michael A. Gates and David McL. Roberts "British and other freshwater ciliated protozoa Part II Ciliophora: Oligohymenophora and Polyhymenophora" Cambridge University Press, 1983 (ref. ID; 2014)

Cirranter mobilis (ref. ID; 4610, 4818)
Syn; Metopus mobilis Penard, 1922 (ref. ID; 4818); Trochella mobilis Kahl, 1935 (ref. ID; 4818)

Cirranter mobilis (ref. ID; 4610, 4818)

Synonym

Metopus mobilis Penard, 1922 (ref. ID; 4818); Trochella mobilis Kahl, 1935 (ref. ID; 4818)

Descriptions

Cirranter mobilis is a pyriform ciliate with two very short prolongations and a large contractile vacuole. "In vivo", this species can be easily mistaken for the simplest species of the genus Caenomorpha such as C. simplex and C. uniserialis. The nuclear apparatus consists of one spherical macronucleus (mean diameter=15.6 um) and one large micronucleus (mean diameter=5.5 um). The somatic infraciliature of this species consists, as in other caenomorphids, of a perizonal zone (PZ) and one kinety of the bell. The PZ surrounds almost all the lower part of the ciliate bell. It is formed by numerous kineties, each constituted by four dikinetids. A complex cytoskeletal arrangement can be observed at this PZ. The kinetids of each kinety are inter-connected by periodic structures. In addition, the anterior kinetosome of the last kinetid of each kinety presents long fibrillar extensions directed towards the anterior part of the cell. The kinety of the bell is located at the anterior part of the ciliate body. This kinety is formed by pairs of kinetosomes from which depart long fibrillar extensions directed towards the dorsal and ventral sides. In the oral zone, the paroral kinety (PK), located close to the upper right margin of the AZM, is formed by one row of kinetosomes that seem to be a stychomonad. The AZM runs under and parallel to the PZ and its infraciliature is more simplex than in other caenomorphid ciliates: each membranelle presents only two rows of kinetosomes. These membranelles are connected between them through transversal microfibrillar tracts; also, longitudinal fibrillar extensions are observed at the anterior part of this zone. (ref. ID; 4818)

Remarks

Cirranter mobilis, single species of the genus Cirranter, was first described by Penard (1922) as Metopus mobilis, and later redescribed by Kahl (1935) as Trochella mobilis. Jankowski (1964) created the new genus Cirranter because of the great differences between this genus and the other metopids, and he included it within the caenomorphids. With respect to the general morphology, somatic and oral infraciliature of Cirranter mobilis, our observations differ from those of Jankowski (1964) in several aspects: (ref. ID; 4818)

(1) The species Cirranter moblis presents two very short posterior prolongations which are very difficult to observe. The prolongations lack infraciliture and, in our opinion, they might not be considered analogous to the spines described in other caenomorphid ciliate that present a characteristic infraciliature (Fernandez-Galiano & Fernandez-Leborans 1980; Martin-Gonzalez et al. 1987; Sola et al. 1990). (ref. ID; 4818)
(2) The single series of cirri placed anteriorly in accord to Jankowki's (1964) description, really correspond to the kinety of the bell, which in any case can be considered like cirri. (ref. ID; 4818)
(3) The PZ is not composed of 5 ciliary row running along the upper magin of the peristome, but it is formed from numerous longitudinal kineties constituted by dikinetids. (ref. ID; 4818)
(4) The oral infraciliature is composed of not only the AZM, but also one paroral kinety close to the upper margin of the AZM. (ref. ID; 4818)

Examined materials

Samples were collected at the surface sediment from a small lagoon located at "Carrascosa de Henares" (Guadalajara, Spain). (ref. ID; 4818)

Measurements

The dimensions of this species, measured in 14 specimens fixed with osmium tetroxide, range between 42.8-53.9 um (average=48.2 um) in length and 33.0-50.6 um (average=42.4 um) in width. (ref. ID; 4818)