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The World of Protozoa, Rotifera, Nematoda and Oligochaeta

Spiroprorodon

Spiroprorodon Fenchel & Lee, 1972 (ref. ID; 7603)

See Prorodon (ref. ID; 4757)
  1. Spiroprorodon garrisoni Corliss & Snyder, 1986 (ref. ID; 7603 original paper)
  2. Spiroprorodon glacialis Fenchel & Lee, 1972 (ref. ID; 7603)

Spiroprorodon garrisoni Corliss & Snyder, 1986 (ref. ID; 7603 original paper)

Descriptions

Oblong to spherical body, 54 (45-90) um long, 35 (30-55) um wide (n=7). Elongate and irregular macronucleus, approximate size 25x5 um. A single micronucleus was found in some specimens, ca. 2 um in diameter. The cytostome is apically situated, with a prominent cytopharyngeal basket extending two-thirds or more into the cell. The pattern formed by the internal opening of the cytopharyngeal basket was relatively consistent in the "morphotype" here designated as a new species, named in honor of its collector D.L. Garrison. Twenty-five kineties were found on all seven specimens used for this description. Four "spiral" somatic kineties extend clockwise around the anterior portion of the body. The first may be continuous with the oral ciliature, although this was not entirely clear in the specimens examined. The second kinety extends around the cell to the anterior terminus of kinety "n". The termini of the third and fourth ("spiral" somatic) kineties showed some variability, extending to the tops of kineties n-1 to n-4. A kinetofragmon forms a semicircle of closely spaced kinetosomes to the right of the "spiral" somatic kineties near the posterior pole of the organism. Kinety "n" itself extends to the cytostome anteriorly and consists of closely spaced kinetosomes in its posterior portion, terminating approximately two-thirds of the cell length from the anterior end. A series of membranelles and paired kinetosomes encircle one half of the cytostome, and a row of single kinetosomes (possibly an extension of "spiral" kinety one) completes the circle on the other side. Silver-staining proteinaceous material apparently links the cytopharyngeal basket to these kinetosomes and membranelles. (ref. ID; 7603)

Remarks

S. garrisoni n. sp. differs from the only other described species of this genus, S. glacialis Fenchel and Lee, 1972, in general size, number of encircling ("spiral" somatic) kineties, oral ciliature, and macronuclear shape. Dinoflagellates appear to be the chief food source for this species, although some diatoms were also observed in food vacuoles. (ref. ID; 7603)

Type locality

Samples of sea-ice pore water, sea-ice slush, and open water column from the Weddell Sea, Antarctica. (ref. ID; 7603)