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The World of Protozoa, Rotifera, Nematoda and Oligochaeta

Spathidium

Spathidium Dujardin, 1841 (ref. ID; 2013, 3540)

Class Kinetofragminophora: Subclass Gymnostomata: Order Haptorida: Family Spathidiidae (ref. ID; 2013)
Family Spathidiidae Kahl in Doflein & Reichenow (ref. ID; 4813)

Synonym Spathidiosus Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 2013); Spathidiopsis Kahl, 1926 (ref. ID; 2013)

[ref. ID; 2013]
Body shape elongate, rounded in cross-section, posterior end bluntly pointed or rounded. Anterior region of body characteristically terminates obliquely but variable between transverse to longitudinal to the major body axis. There is always an ciliated apical ridge which is lined by trichocysts. The oral aperture is a slit lying along the length of the ridge. Ciliation uniform on both lateral surfaces in longitudinal parallel rows. Macronucleus highly variable, often elongate, ribbon-like or moniliform. Contractile vacuole single and terminal. Feeds on other ciliates. Originally described by Dujardin. (1841)
Quote; Colin R. Curds "British and other freshwater ciliated protozoa Part I Ciliophora: Kinetofragminophora" Cambridge University Press, 1982 (ref. ID; 2013)
  1. Spathidium amphoriforme Greeff, 1888 (ref. ID; 1335, 1669, 3540, 3593) reported author and year? (ref. ID; 191, 7514)
    Syn; Spathidium amphoriforme var. rectitoratum Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 3593); Spathidium amphoriforme var. securiforme Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 3593)
  2. Spathidium amphoriforme var. rectitoratum Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
    See; Epispathidium amphoriforme var. rectitoratum (Kahl, 1930) (ref. ID; 4730), Spathidium amphoriforme Greeff, 1888 (ref. ID; 3593)
  3. Spathidium amphoriforme var. securiforme Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
    See; Epispathidium amphoriforme var. securiforme (Kahl, 1930) (ref. ID; 4730), Spathidium amphoriforme Greeff, 1888 (ref. ID; 3593)
  4. Spathidium ampulliforme Sramek-Husek, 1954
    See; Spathidium seppelti (ref. ID; 2846)
  5. Spathidium anguilla Vuxanovici, 1962 (ref. ID; 4813) reported author and year? (ref. ID; 191)
  6. Spathidium antennatum Kahl, 1926 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  7. Spathidium armatum Vuxanovici, 1959
    See; Spathidium seppelti (ref. ID; 2846)
  8. Spathidium asciola Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 3540 original paper) reported author and year? (ref. ID; 1619)
  9. Spathidium atypicum Buitkamp & Wilbert, 1974 (ref. ID; 2345)
    See; Spathidium longicaudatum
  10. Spathidium atypicum Wenzel, 1953 (ref. ID; 3593 original paper)
  11. Spathidium bavariense Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540, 3593)
    See; Spathidium seppelti (ref. ID; 2846)
  12. Spathidium breve Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 3540 original paper, 4488) reported author and year? (ref. ID; 1619)
  13. Spathidium brunneum Kahl, 1926 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  14. Spathidium capitulum Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 3540 original paper) reported author and year? (ref. ID; 1619)
  15. Spathidium caudatum Wetzel, 1927 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  16. Spathidium chlorelligerum Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540, 3593, 3690)
    See; Spathidium seppelti (ref. ID; 2846)
  17. Spathidium cithara Penard, 1912 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
    Syn; Pelekydion barbatula Eberhard, 1862(?) (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  18. Spathidium claviforme Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
    See; Protospathidium terricola (ref. ID; 2846)
  19. Spathidium crassum Kahl, 1926 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  20. Spathidium cucumis Baumeister (ref. ID; 1619)
  21. Spathidium cucumis Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 3540 original paper)
  22. Spathidium cultriforme Penard, 1922 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  23. Spathidium curvatum Kahl, 1928 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  24. Spathidium cylindricum Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 3540 original paper) reported author and year? (ref. ID; 1619)
  25. Spathidium deforme Kahl, 1928 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  26. Spathidium depressum Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540, 4612)
    Syn; Spathidium lieberkuhni Kahl, 1926 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  27. Spathidium distoma Kahl, 1926 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  28. Spathidium edax (ref. ID; 2573, 3292)
  29. Spathidium elegans Kahl, 1926
    See; Enchelyodon elegans (ref. ID; 4612)
  30. Spathidium extensum Kahl, 1933 (ref. ID; 1620) reported year? (ref. ID; 3771)
  31. Spathidium falciforme Penard, 1922 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  32. Spathidium faurei Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540, 4612)
    Syn; Spathidium lieberkuhni Faure-Fremiet, 1924 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  33. Spathidium fontinale Penard, 1922 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  34. Spathidium fossicola Kahl, 1933 (ref. ID; 1620)
  35. Spathidium fresenburgi Kahl, 1928 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  36. Spathidium furcatum Shibuya, 1930 (ref. ID; 1620)
  37. Spathidium gibbum Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 3540 original paper, 4612) reported author and year? (ref. ID; 1619)
  38. Spathidium gigas Da Cunha
    See; Pseudoprorodon lieberkuhni (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  39. Spathidium holsatiae Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540, 3593)
  40. Spathidium hyalinum Dujardin, 1842 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  41. Spathidium implicatum Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  42. Spathidium inflatum Vuxanovici, 1962
    See; Spathidium seppelti (ref. ID; 2846)
  43. Spathidium labeo Penard-Kahl, 1926
    See; Lagynophrya retractilis (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  44. Spathidium lagenula Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  45. Spathidium lagyniforme Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 3540 original paper) reported author and year? (ref. ID; 1619)
  46. Spathidium latum Kahl, 1926 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  47. Spathidium lieberkuhni Buetschli, 1880 (ref. ID; 3593) or Butschli, 1889 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  48. Spathidium lieberkuhni Faure-Fremient, 1924
    See; Spathidium faurei Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  49. Spathidium lieberkuhni Kahl, 1926
    See; Spathidium depressum Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  50. Spathidium lionotiforme Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 3540 original paper) reported author and year? (ref. ID; 1619)
  51. Spathidium longicaudatum Buitkamp (ref. ID; 2365 redescribed paper)
    Syn; Spathidium atypicum Buitkamp & Wilbert, 1974 (ref. ID; 2365)
  52. Spathidium longicolum Vuxanovici, 1962
    See; Spathidium seppelti (ref. ID; 2846)
  53. Spathidium lucidum Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 3540 original paper) reported author and year? (ref. ID; 1619)
  54. Spathidium luteum Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 3540 original paper) reported author and year? (ref. ID; 1619)
    Syn; Spathidium spatula var. luteum Kahl, 1926 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  55. Spathidium marinum Lepsi, 1926 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  56. Spathidium meloforme Alekperov, 1983
    See; Spathidium seppelti (ref. ID; 2846)
  57. Spathidium metabolicum Pomp & Wilbert, 1988
    See; Spathidium seppelti (ref. ID; 2846)
  58. Spathidium minutum Kahl, 1926 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  59. Spathidium modestum Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 3540 original paper) reported author and year? (ref. ID; 1619)
  60. Spathidium moniliforme Bathia, 1920 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540) reported year? (ref. ID; 3690)
    Syn; Spathidium spathula Penard, 1922 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  61. Spathidium multinucleatum Gellert, 1955
    See; Spathidium seppelti (ref. ID; 2846)
  62. Spathidium multistriatum Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  63. Spathidium muscicola Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540, 3593, 4522) reported year? (ref. ID; 4842) reported author and year? (ref. ID; 191)
  64. Spathidium muscorum Dragesco & Dragesco-Kerneis, 1979 (ref. ID; 4094) reported author and year? (ref. ID; 191)
  65. Spathidium nigrum Vuxanovici, 1959
    See; Spathidium seppelti (ref. ID; 2846)
  66. Spathidium obliquum Kahl, 1926 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  67. Spathidium opimum Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
    Syn; Spathidium spatula Kahl, 1926 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  68. Spathidium papilliferum Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540, 3593)
  69. Spathidium paucistriatum Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  70. Spathidium pectinatum Kahl, 1926 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  71. Spathidium peniculatum Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  72. Spathidium piliforme Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  73. Spathidium plurinucleatum Andre, 1916 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
    See; Spathidium seppelti (ref. ID; 2846)
  74. Spathidium polymorphum Wenzel (ref. ID; 3698)
  75. Spathidium porculus Penard, 1922 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  76. Spathidium procerum Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540, 4861)
  77. Spathidium puteolagri Baumeister (ref. ID; 1619, 3698)
  78. Spathidium puteolagri Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 3540 original paper)
  79. Spathidium repandum Penard, 1922 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  80. Spathidium scalpriforme Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 3540, 3593)
  81. Spathidium seppelti Foissner, 1997 (ref. ID; 2846 original paper)
  82. Spathidium serpens Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 3540 original paper, 3593) reported author and year? (ref. ID; 1619)
  83. Spathidium simplex Penard, 1922 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  84. Spathidium simulans Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 3540 original paper) reported author and year? (ref. ID; 1619)
  85. Spathidium spathula Kahl, 1926 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540) reported author and year? (ref. ID; 4612)
    See; Spathidium opimum Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  86. Spathidium spathula O.F. Muller, 1786 (ref. ID; 1619, 3115, 3540, 3593) reported year? (ref. ID; 1618, 3598, 3992, 4842) or (Mueller, 1786) Woodruff & Spenser, 1922 (ref. ID; 4488)
  87. Spathidium spathula Penard, 1922
    See; Spathidium moniliforme Bathia, 1920 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  88. Spathidium spatula (Woodruff & Spencer) (ref. ID; 1308)
  89. Spathidium spathula var. lutem Kahl, 1926
    See; Spathidium lutem (ref. ID; 3540)
  90. Spathidium sulcatum Kahl, 1928 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  91. Spathidium teres Stokes, 1886 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  92. Spathidium tortum Foissner (ref. ID; 3698)
  93. Spathidium truncatum Stokes, 1885 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
  94. Spathidium vermiculus Kahl, 1926 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540, 3593) reported year? (ref. ID; 3698)
  95. Spathidium vermiforme Penard, 1922 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540) reported year? (ref. ID; 3598)
  96. Spathidium viride Penard, 1922 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)
    Syn; Spathidium viride Kahl, 1926 (ref. ID; 1619, 3540)

Spathidium amphoriforme Greeff, 1888 (ref. ID; 1335, 1669, 3540, 3593) reported author and year? (ref. ID; 191, 7514)

Synonym

Spathidium amphoriforme var. rectitoratum Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 3593); Spathidium amphoriforme var. securiforme Kahl, 1930 (ref. ID; 3593)

Descriptions

The ultrastructural study. (ref. ID; 7514)

Spathidium muscorum Dragesco & Dragesco-Kerneis, 1979 (ref. ID; 4094) reported author and year? (ref. ID; 191)

Descriptions

After protargol staining, distinctly sack-shaped, rarely slim. Oral bulge scalpel-shaped, approximately half of the body length. Somatic kineties meridional, with densely arranged kinetosomes. Brosse generally with 3, rarely with 4 rows. Angle between the somatic kineties and the perioral kinety on the left side greater than on the right. Basal body pairs of the perioral kinety arranged very densely. Nematodesmata bundled, about 30 um long. Macronucleus long and usually twisted, with many small, spherical nucleoli. (ref. ID; 4094)
  • Cyst: Spherical, with smooth cover surrounded by a 5-10-um-thick mucous layer. (ref. ID; 4094)

    Spathidium seppelti Foissner, 1997 (ref. ID; 2846 original paper)

    Diagnosis

    Size in vivo about 80-140x20-40 um, spatulate. Oral bulge about one-third longer than maximum postoral width, inclined to ventral side, with eccentric depression. 100-200 macronuclear nodules. On average 21 somatic kineties. Terricolous. (ref. ID; 2846)

    Descriptions

    Body narrowed behind oral bulge, posterior end more broadly rounded in impregnated than in living specimens; cross-section circular in mid-body, neck and oral bulge laterally distinctly flattened and rather flexible and hyaline. Oral bulge slightly to considerably inclined ventrally, with distinct conical depression in dorsal third; about one-third longer than maximum postoral width on average, anterior end thus distinctly set off from narrowed neck, appears obliquely truncate in living specimens but convex after protargol impregnation. About 100-200, usually 120-150 ellipsoidal to globular macronuclear nodules, each with one to two large (1-1.5 um in diameter) and some tiny (>1 um) nucleoli. Micronuclei globular, irregularly distributed, number variable and often difficult to determine because of many similarly sized cytoplasmic inclusions. Contractile vacuole in rear end, with one to four excretory pores in posterior pole area. Extrusomes rod-shaped, 3-4 um long in vivo, found only in oral bulge. Pellicle colourless, slightly furrowed by ciliary rows; cortical granules 0.5 um in diameter, pale, arranged in two to three indistinct rows between each two kineties. Cytoplasm rather hyaline, contains some fat droplets (about 5 um across) and food vacuoles with ciliates (for example, hypotrichs); well-fed and thus rather opaque specimens filled with 8-10 um-sized, ellipsoidal to roundish inclusions. Moves rather fast in straight lines, changing direction frequently. Somatic kineties bipolar, rather loosely ciliated, those of right side about to circumoral kinety at acute angles, while those of left side, which have three of five narrowly spaced cilia at anterior end, abut at right angles. Dorsal brush three-rowed, rows 1 and 2 almost of same length and composed of narrowly spaced dikinetids having 3-4 um long, rod-shaped cilia; row 3 consists of a short, dikinetidal anterior portion with 3-4 um long cilia and a long, monokinetidal posterior tail having 2-4 um long bristles and terminating behind mid-body; all brush rows continue posteriorly as normal somatic kineties. Circumoral kinety continuous (not fragmented), composed of narrowly spaced dikinetids having long nematodesmata forming wedge-shaped bundles. (ref. ID; 2846)

    Comments

    The anterior portion of the left lateral kineties of S. seppelti does not duplicate the circumoral kinety. Thus, it belongs to the genus Spathidium. However, the eccentric conical indentation of the oral bulge is a very peculiar characteristic. Spathidium sp. found by Smith (1978) on sub-Antarctic and maritime Antarctic islands is probably conspecific with S. seppelti because, as indicated by the figure given, it is rather similarly sized and shaped and has, apparently, many macronuclear nodules. However, a definite identification is impossible because Smith's (1978) figure is not accompanied by a description. At first glance, S. seppelti resembles a small Epispathidium regium Foissner, 1984, which has, however, considerably more (average 41 vs. 21) and differently arranged somatic kineties (anterior ends strongly curved and thus duplicating circumoral kinety). With regard to the number of macronuclei, S. seppelti resembles S. meloforme Alekperov, 1983 (150-200 nodules) and S. chlorelligerum Kahl, 1930 (50-100 nodules). However, the former is broadly fusiform, has many more somatic kineties (75-80 vs. 18-25), and was found in rearing ponds of a sturgeon hatchery. The latter is distinguished from S. seppelti by the larger size (200-400 vs. 80-140 um), the longer extrusomes (10-12 vs. 3-4 um), the number of somatic kineties (40-50 vs. 18-25), and the possession of symbiotic algae. Spathidium seppelti greatly resembles S. bavariense Kahl, 1930. However, the oral bulge of S. bavariense turns back at the dorsal end and duplicates this section, making the dorsal portion twice as thick as the ventral one. Furthermore, S. bavariense has a distinctly lower number of macronuclear nodules (15-35 vs. 100-200) and a relatively shorter oral bulge than S. seppelti. The individuals found by Wenzel (1953) were only about 70 um long (his drawing indicates 95 um). Spathidium sp. found by Vuxanovici (1962) resembles S. seppelti in size, number of somatic kineties, and extrusomes. However, it is differently shaped (elongate drop-like), has only about 11 macronuclear nodules, and occurred in a lake. Spathidium multinucleatum Gellert, 1955 described without figure, matches S. seppelti in body size and number of somatic kineties, but differs by having long extrusomes (exact length, however, not given), distinctly fewer macronuclei (30-32), and a short, very slightly ventrally inclined oral bulge. Several other and sometimes very poorly described Spathidium species, such as Spathidium ampulliforme Sramek-Husek, 1954, S. armatum Vuxanovici, 1959, S. inflatum Vuxanovici, 1962, S. longicolum Vuxanovici, 1962, S. metabolicum Pompand & Wilber, 1988, S. nigrum Vuxanovici, 1959, S. plurinucleatum Andre, 1916, have a multinodular macronucleus, but differ considerably from S. seppelti at least in shape, size, extrusomes, and number of somatic kineties or macronuclear nodules. (ref. ID; 2846)

    Spathidium spathula O.F. Muller, 1786 (ref. ID; 1619, 3115, 3540, 3593) reported year? (ref. ID; 1618, 3598, 3992, 4842) or (Mueller, 1786) Woodruff & Spenser, 1922 (ref. ID; 4488)

    Descriptions

    The somatic ciliature of Spathidium spatula is arranged in 20-24 longitudinal kineties. Cilia originate from pits along the kinetal grooves. (ref. ID; 3992)

    Measurements

    Up to 250 um long. (ref. ID; 1618)