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The World of Protozoa, Rotifera, Nematoda and Oligochaeta

Taphrocampa

Taphrocampa Gosse, 1851

ref. ID; 1663

Body marked with transverse folds or annuli. Elongated and spindle-shaped. Foot rudimentary. Toes short. Littoral species. (ref. ID; 1663)

ref. ID; 3245

Notommatid rotifers with cylindric or spindle-shaped, illoricate or semiloricate body, marked with permanent or evanescent transverse folds; the foot is rudimentary and the cloaca opens dorsally at the base of the toes, under a projecting fold of the integument or tail. The corona is an elongate oval area covering the oblique anterior surface of the head and continuing beyond the mouth on the ventral surface; the marginal cilia are relatively short, except on the auricles, which have long and powerful cilia adapted to swimming. The apical plate is enclosed by the marginal ciliation; a rostrum may be present; the buccal field is covered with short, dense cilia; the mouth is approximately in the center of the corona. The mastax is virgate with strongly asymmetric trophi; the fulcrum is long and slender and nearly at a right angle to the roughly hemispherical rami the manubria are long and slender with a rudimentary basal plate; the unci have a strongly developed ventral tooth and one or two additional, rudimentary teeth. The piston is very large and fills the entire cavity of the mastax. The rodshaped transverse supports, which are found imbedded in the walls of the mastax below the posterior margin of the rami in many Notommatids, are absent in this genus. The retrocerebral sac is present in all of the species, but there are no subcerebral glands. The eyespot is at the posterior end of the ganglion. (ref. ID; 3245)
  1. Taphrocampa annulosa (Gosse, 1851) (ref. ID; 1345, 1923, 2017, 2268, 2932, 3245, 3688)
    Syn; Diglena rosa Gosse, 1887 (ref. ID; 3688)
  2. Taphrocampa clavigera Stokes, 1896 (ref. ID; 1345, 2017, 3245, 3688)
  3. Taphrocampa lemurensis Berzins, 1982 (ref. ID; 2017)
    Species inquirendae. (ref. ID; 2017)
  4. Taphrocampa levinseni Berzins, 1982 (ref. ID; 2017)
    Species inquirendae. (ref. ID; 2017)
  5. Taphrocampa saundersiae de Beauchamp, 1909
    See; Encentrum lutetiae (ref. ID; 1345, 3688)
  6. Taphrocampa saundersiae Hudson, 1885
    See; Encentrum saundersiae (ref. ID; 1345, 2019, 2278, 2757, 3688)
  7. Taphrocampa selenura (Gosse, 1887) (ref. ID; 1345, 2017, 2278, 3245, 3688)
    Syn; Taphrocampa viscosa Levander, 1895 (ref. ID; 1345, 3245, 3688)
  8. Taphrocampa viscosa Levander, 1895
    See; Taphrocampa selenura (ref. ID; 1345, 3245, 3688)

Taphrocampa annulosa (Gosse, 1851) (ref. ID; 1345, 1923, 2017, 2268, 2932, 3245, 3688)

Synonym

Diglena rosa Gosse, 1887 (ref. ID; 3688)

Descriptions

The body is elongate, slender and very nearly cylindric, tapering slightly to the foot; its greatest width is about one fourth of the total length. The integument is leathery and almost semiloricate; its dorsal surface is viscous and usually covered with adhering particles of floccose material. There is no distinct separation between the head and abdomen; both are transversely plicate, about ten ridges in the entire length, of which three maybe taken as belonging to the head. The plications do not form rings around the body; the lateral ridges alternate with those of the dorsal surface, forming a sort of "bellows"-fold. The ventral surface is very faintly plicate. The tail is as wide as the body and rounded posteriorly; it is separated from the abdomen by a deep transverse groove. The foot is short and very broad; it has no joints. The toes are rather short, slender, conical and slightly decurved; their length is about one fifteenth of the length of the body, and they are separated by an interspace of nearly half their length. The dorsal antenna is a minute setigerous pit in the normal position; the lateral antennae have not been observed. The corona is strongly oblique and extends down on the ventral side about one fourth of the length of the body; the post-oral portion projects very slightly from the body, but does not form a chin. The auricles are small and rounded; the ciliation is continuous with the corona. The mouth is nearly in the center. The mastax is virgate with very slender and slightly asymmetric trophi of a simple type. The fulcrum is long and slender, tapering gradually to the posterior end. Which is expanded into an oval plate for the attachment of the muscles of the piston. The rami are approximately triangular in ventral view and have well developed alulae, ending in acute points; the right ramus has below the apex a small, blunt tooth, fitting into a recess on the left ramus. On the external edge of the rami there is a strongly curved dorsal extension, which forms a nearly right angle with the rami; a deep sinus separates it anteriorly from the points of the rami. The unci have two teeth, of which the ventral one is more robust than the second tooth; the basal plate is very narrow and lamellar, with a rudimentary tooth at its dorsal edge. The manubria are slightly curved near the base; the posterior portion is straight and very slender, ending in a spatulate expansion, which curves slightly inwards. The piston is very large and fills the entire cavity of the mastax. The oesophagus is moderately long and begins high up on the mastax. The gastric glands, ovary and bladder are normal. There is a slight constriction between the stomach and intestine. The foot glands are small and pyriform. The ganglion is large and saccate. The retrocerebral organ consists of a small, pyriform sac, usually filled with bacteroids. The eyespot is at the posterior end of the ganglion. (ref. ID; 3245)

Comments

It is closely related to Taphrocampa selenura, but is readily distinguished by its smaller size and short toes, as well as by the differences in the trophi. (ref. ID; 3245)

Measurements

Total length 175-200; toes 12-15; trophi 26 µm. (ref. ID; 3245)

Taphrocampa clavigera Stokes, 1896 (ref. ID; 1345, 2017, 3245, 3688)

Descriptions

The body is elongate, fusiform and very slender; its greatest width is about one sixth of the total length. The integument is soft and very flexible and the outline is constantly changing. There is no distinct separation between the head and abdomen; the contracted animal is marked with evanescent annulations, which disappear when the body is fully extended in swimming. There is no true foot and the tail is a small fold above the toes; between the toes is a minute, but quite distinct, rounded papilla. The toes are short, slightly decurved and emarginate on their inner edges, which gives them the appearance of being clawed; their length is about one twentieth of the length of the body. The dorsal antenna is a minute setigerous papilla in the normal position; the lateral antennae have not been observed. The corona extends down on the ventral side somewhat more than on fourth of the length of the body. The auricles are small and rounded, a fairly prominent rostrum is present and curved down over the corona. The mouth is a little below the center. The mastax is virgate with strongly asymmetric trophi of a simple type. The fulcrum is very long and slender, tapering gradually towards the posterior end, which is expanded into an oval plate for the attachment of the muscles of the piston. The rami are roughly triangular in ventral view; the dorsal branch forms an acute angle with the ventral portion. The alula of the left ramus is nearly as long as the ventral part of the ramus itself and forms a very acute angle with the fulcrum. The right alula is smaller and somewhat more divergent; it is excavate dorsally and the sinus is reenforced by a strong rib, easily seen in the ventral view. The unci have a strong ventral tooth, followed by a much smaller second tooth. The manubria are rodlike and formed entirely by the median cell, only a slight ventral hump indicating the normal posterior limit of the ventral cell. The right manubrium is only two thirds as long as the left, and both are slightly expanded at the posterior end. The piston is very large and fills the entire cavity of the mastax. Two salivary glands are present; the left gland is very large and curves under the mastax, while the right gland is rudimentary and apparently not functional. The oesophagus is long and slender. The gastric glands are very small and rounded. There is no distinct separation between stomach and intestine. The bladder is formed by an expansion of the cloaca. The foot glands are large and slightly club-shaped. The ovary is normal. The ganglion is large and elongate saccate. The retrocerebral organ consists of a small, pyriform sac, usually opaque with bacteroids; no subcerebral glands are present. The eyespot is a granular mass of red pigment at the posterior end of the ganglion. (ref. ID; 3245)

Comments

While without the pronounced, permanent annulations of T. annulosa and selenura, it is evidently closely related to these two species; the mastax differs only in details from that of T. annulosa. (ref. ID; 3245)

Measurements

Total length 150-200; toes 8-10; trophi 28 µm. (ref. ID; 3245)

Taphrocampa selenura (Gosse, 1887) (ref. ID; 1345, 2017, 2278, 3245, 3688)

Synonym

Taphrocampa viscosa Levander, 1895 (ref. ID; 1345, 3245, 3688)

Descriptions

The body is elongate, slender and very nearly cylindric, tapering slightly to the foot; its greatest width is about one fifth of the total length. The integument is leathery and almost semiloricate; its surface is viscous and usually covered with adhering particles of floccose material. There is no distinct separation between the head and abdomen; both are transversely plicate, about eleven ridges in the entire length, of which three may be considered as belonging to the head. The plications do not form rings around the body; the lateral ridges alternate with those on the dorsal surface and meet them in a "bellows"-fold. The ventral surface is very faintly plicate. The tail is slightly narrower than the body and rounded posteriorly; it is separated from the abdomen by a deep transverse groove. The foot is rudimentary, the anus opening just above the toes; these are long, slender, tapering and decurved; they are far apart at the base and form nearly a semicircle, when seen from the dorsal or ventral side; their length is about one ninth of the total length. The dorsal antenna is a minute setigerous pit in the normal position; the lateral antennae have not been observed. The corona is strongly oblique and extends down on the ventral side for nearly one thirds of the length of the body; there is no chin. The auricles are small and rounded; the ciliation is continuous with the corona. The mouth is a little below the center. The mastax is virgate and the trophi slender and strongly asymmetric, the left side being more strongly developed than the right. The fulcrum is long and slender and tapers towards the posterior end, which is slightly enlarged and bent inwards, providing attachment for the muscles of the piston. The rami appear triangular in ventral view and are bent nearly at a right angle at the extreme anterior point. The left ramus has near the base a prominent, blunt tooth on its inner edge, and immediately behind this a broad, lamellar and finely striated tooth. Near the anterior angle there are two large teeth, separated by a slight interspace. The right ramus is coarsely denticulate; about eight rudimentary teeth are present. The left uncus has a large ventral tooth, followed by a much smaller and shorter second tooth; the right uncus has a similar ventral tooth, followed by two smaller teeth; the basal plates are somewhat triangular in outline and bordered by a marginal rib. The manubria have a subsquare basal plate, with a straight posterior branch ending in a triangular, plate-like expansion. The piston is large and fills the entire cavity of the mastax. The oesophagus is moderately long and begins high up on the mastax. The gastric glands, ovary and bladder are normal. There is no distinct separation between the stomach and intestine. The foot glands are small and pyriform. The ganglion is moderately large and saccate. The retrocerebral organ consists of a rather small, pyriform sac, usually opaque with bacteroids. The eyespot is at the posterior end of the ganglion. (ref. ID; 3245)

Comments

It is closely related to Taphrocampa annulosa, but is readily distinguished by its larger size, as well as by the peculiar form of the toes and the more robust trophi. (ref. ID; 3245)

Measurements

Average length 170 µm. (ref. ID; 2278)

Total length 225-275; toes 25-30; trophi 36 µm. (ref. ID; 3245)