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The World of Protozoa, Rotifera, Nematoda and Oligochaeta

Proalinopsis

Proalinopsis Weber, 1918 (ref. ID; ?) or Weber & Montet, 1918 (ref. ID; 3688)

ref. ID; 1663

Tail region or basal foot segment with a knob-like papilla bearing a tuft of setae or a spine. Mastax modified malleate. Unci adapted for crushing and grinding. Corona oblique, with two lateral tufts of cilia. Littoral species. (ref. ID; 1663)

ref. ID; 1923

With setate papilla just posterior to anus. (ref. ID; 1923)

ref. ID; 3245

Notommatid rotifers with fusiform, illoricate body, with a well-marked constriction separating head and abdomen; there is a gradual reduction of the diameter or the body towards the tail; the foot is short and two-jointed, with two fairly long toes; on the tail or the basal foot joint is a knoblike papilla with a tuft of setae or a spine. The corona is an oblique disc with short marginal cilia and two lateral, auricle-like areas with very long cilia; the apical plate is small and enclosed by the marginal wreath; the buccal field is evenly ciliated and the mouth is at or near the ventral margin. The mastax is intermediate between the malleate and the virgate types; the fulcrum may be either short or long; the rami are symmetrical, large and triangular, with a well developed basal apophysis; the unci have about eight slender teeth, clubbed at the tips; the manubria are long. No epipharynx is present; the piston is partly or wholly attached to the fulcrum. The retrocerebral organ is rudimentary or absent; the eyespot, when present, is cervical. (ref. ID; 3245)
  1. Proalinopsis caudatus (Collins, 1872) (ref. ID; 1345, 1923, 2268, 2757, 2993, 3688, 6939) or 1873 (ref. ID; 2018) reported year? (ref. ID; 2932)
    Syn; Bryceella stylata Weber & Montet, 1918 (ref. ID; 1345); Copeus caudatus Harring & Gosse, 1886 (ref. ID; 1345); Copeus caudatus Hudson & Gosse, 1886 (ref. ID; 2018, 2757, 3688); Notommata caudata Collins, 1872 (ref. ID; 1345, 2757, 3688) or 1873 (ref. ID; 2018); Proalinopsis caudatus Harring & Myers, 1922 (ref. ID; 2018)
  2. Proalinopsis gracilis Myers, 1933 (ref. ID; 1345, 2018, 3572)
  3. Proalinopsis lobatus Rodewald, 1935 (ref. ID; 1345, 3688) species inquirendae (ref. ID; 2018)
  4. Proalinopsis montanus Godeanu, 1963 species inquirendae (ref. ID; 2018, 2629 original paper) reported year? (ref. ID; 3397)
  5. Proalinopsis phacus Myers, 1933 (ref. ID; 2018)
  6. Proalinopsis phagus Myers (ref. ID; 1345)
  7. Proalinopsis selene Myers, 1933 (ref. ID; 1345, 2018)
  8. Proalinopsis squamipes Hauer, 1935 (ref. ID; 1345, 2018)
  9. Proalinopsis staurus Harring & Myers, 1924 (ref. ID; 1345, 2018, 3245 original paper, 7846)
  10. Proalinopsis trisegmenta Sudzuki, 1960 (ref. ID; 3084 original paper)

    Quote from ref. ID; 3084

  11. Proalinopsis trisegmentum (ref. ID; 3114)

    Quote from ref. ID; 3114

  12. Proalinopsis trisegmentus Sudzuki, 1960 species inquirendae. (ref. ID; 2018)

Proalinopsis caudatus (Collins, 1872) (ref. ID; 1345, 1923, 2268, 2757, 2993, 3688, 6939) or 1873 (ref. ID; 2018) reported year? (ref. ID; 2932)

Synonym

Bryceella stylata Weber & Montet, 1918 (ref. ID; 1345); Copeus caudatus Harring & Gosse, 1886 (ref. ID; 1345); Copeus caudatus Hudson & Gosse, 1886 (ref. ID; 2018, 2757, 3688); Notommata caudata Collins, 1872 (ref. ID; 1345, 2757, 3688) or 1873 (ref. ID; 2018); Proalinopsis caudatus Harring & Myers, 1922 (ref. ID; 2018)

Descriptions

Female: The body is fusiform, slender, and extremely transparent. Dorsally the body is humped. The neck is nearly the same width as the head, long and slender. A pale red eye-spot is present. The foot is spindle-shaped with two segments, the proximal larger than the distal, and with a knob-like dorsal projection bearing a slight long, deflexed seta (setigerous papilla sensu Harring & Myers 1922). The toes are moderately long, lanceolate, acutely pointed and slightly curved. The trophi have a small fulcrum. The rami are triangular with 5 large and 5-6 smaller teeth. The manubria are triangular anteriorly, and the median branch curves posteriorly towards the ventral side. (ref. ID; 6939)

Habitats

Habitats usually bogs, also in periphyton and mats in acid waters (Koste 1978). In the Oberer Seebach (pH 8.0) the species was found at the sediment surface during drift experiments in August and November 1994 (densities between 0.7 to 1.35 ind.litre-1). (ref. ID; 6939)

Examined materials

The specimens were colleced in the stream Oberer Seebach, lower Austria (47 degrees 51'N, 5 degrees 04'E) while performing drift experiments beween August and December 1994. (ref. ID; 6939)

Measurements

Total length: 230 µm, toes: 19 µm, trophi length: 18 µm, fulcrum: 7 µm, manubria: 15 µm, rami 8 µm. (ref. ID; 6939)

Proalinopsis gracilis Myers, 1933 (ref. ID; 1345, 2018, 3572)

Measurements

Total length of specimen in extended position 160; length of toes 20; length of trophi 18; spine 18 µm. (ref. ID; 3572)

Proalinopsis staurus Harring & Myers, 1924 (ref. ID; 1345, 2018, 3245 original paper, 7846)

Descriptions

The body is fairly slender and spindle-shaped; its greatest width is about one fourth of the entire length. The integument is very flexible and the outline constantly changing in response to the contractions of the animal. The entire body is as hyaline as P. caudatus. The head and abdomen are separated by a deep constriction. The head segment is somewhat longer than wide and convex anteriorly; its width is about two thirds of the greatest width of the body. The abdomen is spindle-shaped and widest near the middle; from there it tapes gradually to the tail, a small, knoblike papilla bearing a stiff spine, one fifth as long as the body. The foot is stout and fairly long; it has two joints, the terminal somewhat longer than the basal. The toes are rather stout at the base and end in very slender, acute points; their length is a little less than one fifth of the total length. The dorsal antenna is a large, knoblike elevation in the normal position; it has a funnel-shaped central depression with a small tuft of sensory setae. The lateral antennae have not been observed. The corona is an elongate oval area covering the oblique anterior surface of the head and terminating a short distance below the mouth on the ventral side. The marginal cilia are rather short, except on two lateral, auricle-like areas, which are provided with long and powerful cilia for swimming. The unciliated apical plate is small; the buccal field is evenly ciliated. The mastax is of a type intermediate between the malleate and virgate; the primary function of the unci is evidently to crush the food, but there is also a piston, in this instance attached to the ventral floor of the mastax and perhaps incidentally to the fulcrum. The rami are triangular and apparently without teeth on the inner edges; the basal apophysis is large and immediately behind it there is a shallow groove across the rami. The fulcrum is short and tapers to the posterior end, which is slightly expanded. The unci have eight or nine long, slender teeth, clubbed at the tips and decreasing in size towards the posterior margin. The manubrium is very long and well developed; the dorsal cell continues almost to the posterior end as a thin lamella. The oesophagus is short and slender. There is no distinct constriction between the stomach and intestine. The ovary is of normal form; the nuclei are large and as hyaline as the plasma, but of higher refractive index. The posterior portion of the cloaca appears to function as a bladder. The gastric glands are small and nearly spherical. The foot glands are large and pyriform. The ganglion is large and saccate. There is no trace of a retrocerebral organ or eyespot. (ref. ID; 3245)

Comments

While closely related to P. caudatus, it is readily distinguished by the long, slender toes, lack of an eyespot and the conspicuous posterior spine. It is difficult to narcotize and usually rolls itself up into a ball, armadillo-fashion. (ref. ID; 3245)

Type locality

P. staurus is not rare among floating and submerged sphagnum in soft water lakes and ponds. We have collected it at Mamie Lake, Eagle River and Lac Vieux Desert, Vilas County, Wisconsin, in lakes and ponds neat Atlantic City, New Jersey, and in sphagnum ditches in Polk County, Florida. (ref. ID; 3245)

Measurements

Total length 100; toes 18; spine 22; trophi 15 µm. (ref. ID; 3245)

Proalinopsis trisegmenta Sudzuki, 1960 (ref. ID; 3084 original paper)

Descriptions

The body is ovoid in shape resembling Testudinella; its greatest width is about one third of the entire body length. The integument bears small spin lets developed mainly on the posterior part of the body. The head is convex anteriorly, its width is less than 1/2 of the greatest width of the body. At the apical region of the head there is found a tuft of rather long cilia, at the both sides found aurcile-like area. The abdomen is perfectly ovoid in shape being widest at the level of about 1/3 from the tail, and from there is tapers suddenly toward the tail extremity. There is a double knobbed papilla with a tuft of a short seta, each of upper profection has gland-like structure. The foot is three-jointed, hence the name trisegenta. The toes are more or less stout at the base, pointed terminally: their length is about 12 µm and little less than the length of the foot. The dorsal antenna is remarkable, consisting of a tuft of short cilia on the knob-ike projection. It is located in the middle of the head when fully streched, but usually neck. The mastax is of a malleate type, fulcrum is short, tapering to the posterior end. The lateral antennae are symmetrically situated at about 1/3 of the body length from the tail, consisting of one strong seta on the projection. The oesophague is pretty long, 3 µm in diameter, 20 µm in length. One eye present. Both protonephridia and gastric glands are normal. At the base of the foot there are found a pair of strong seta. (ref. ID; 3084)