Ref ID : 2858
Wilhelm Foissner; Infraciliature and Systematic Position of the Marine Interstitial Ciliates (Protozoa, Ciliophora) Lopezoterenia torpens (Kahl, 1931) Nov. Gen., Nov. Comb., Discotricha papillifera Tuffrau, 1954, and Paraspathidium fuscum (Kahl, 1928) Fjeld, 1955. Rev.Soc.Mex.Hist.Nat. 47:41-63, 1997
Reprint
In File
Notes
The morphology and infraciliature of Lopezoterenia torpens (Kahl, 1931) nov. gen., nov. comb. (basionym: Trichopelma torpens Kahl, 1931), Discotricha papillifera Tuffrau, 1954, and Paraspathidium fuscum (Kahl, 1928) Fjeld, 1955, some remarkable interstitial ciliates (Protozoa, Ciliophora) from the French Atlantic coast at Roscoff, were studied in live and protargol-impregnated specimens and with the scanning electron microscope. Most features of T. torpens are highly reminiscent of D. papillifera, namely the general ciliary pattern, the habitat, the cortical papillae containing fusiform trichocysts, the paroral membrane-like kinety at the upper right end of the oral field, the structure of the pharyngeal basket, and the lack of a postoral primordial field. Thus, Trichopelma torpens is assigned as a new genus, Lopezoterenia nov. gen., to the microthoracine family Discotrichidae. Lopezoterenia differs from Discotricha by the simple, holotrichous ciliature lacking compound, cirri-like cilia aggregates and details of the cortical ornamentation. A refined classification of the microthoracine nassulids is suggested, Paraspathidium fuscum has highly specialized cilia and kinetids in the anterior body portion, forming a dikinetidal circumoral kinety, a dikinetidal perioral ciliary corona, and a complex dorsal brush; furthermore, the perioral dikinetids bear nematodesmata, i.e. are oralized somtaic kinetids, possibly because the cytopharyngeal basket is weakly developed. Most of these features are highly reminiscent of gymnostome haptorids, to which Paraspathidium is assigned as a new family, Paraspathidiidae nov. fam. (Acropisthiina (?) with apical, excavated oral opening surrounded by dikinetids forming conspicuous ciliary corona. Brosse and circumoral dikinetids bearing unique, highly specialized cilia).