Two New Diophrys‐Like Genera and Their Type Species,Apodiophrys ovalis n. g., n. sp. and Heterodiophrys zhui n. g., n. sp. (Ciliophora: Euplotida), with Notes on Their Molecular Phylogeny

ABSTRACT. Based on both morphological and molecular information, two new euplotid genera Apodiophrys n. g. and Heterodiophrys n. g. are described in the present paper. Apodiophrys n. g. is defined as sculptured Diophryinae with bipartite adoral zone; frontoventral cirri arranged in Diophrys‐pattern; marginal cirri located in two clearly separated groups. Heterodiophrys n. g. is recognizable by the combination of Diophrys‐like frontoventral cirri and the unique structure of several marginal cirri that are arranged in a long row. The type species for both new genera, Apodiophrys ovalis n. sp. and Heterodiophrys zhui n. sp., collected from southern China sea, are described. The small subunit rRNA (SSU rRNA) gene sequences for both new taxa are determined. Phylogenetic analyses based on these data indicate that Apodiophrys is most closely related to Paradiophrys, which then clusters with Uronychia species. Thus, Apodiophrys–Paradiophrys is separated from other typical Diophrys‐like genera in the SSU rRNA gene trees. The new genus Heterodiophrys is basal to the sister group of Diophrys–Diophryopsis, hence belongs to the “core”Diophrys‐complex.     

Morphology and infraciliature of three species of Metaurostylopsis (Ciliophora, Stichotrichia): M. songi n. sp., M. salina n. sp., and M. marina (Kahl 1932) from sediments, saline ponds, and coastal waters

Two new urostylid ciliates, Metaurostylopsis songi n. sp. and Metaurostylopsis salina n. sp. and Metaurostylopsis marina (Kahl 1932) are investigated using live observation and protargol impregnation. These species were isolated in Korea from intertidal sediments, saline ponds, and coastal waters. Metaurostylopsis songi is in vivo about 120 microm x 25 microm, has a slenderly ellipsoidal body, colorless cortical granules in rows on ventral and dorsal body sides, about 54 macronuclear nodules, 28-47 adoral membranelles, five frontal, two or three frontoterminal and six or seven transverse cirri, and 9-12 midventral cirral pairs followed posteriorly by 1-3 single cirri. In vivo M. salina is about 60 microm x 25 microm, has a pyriform body, colorless cortical granules irregularly arranged, about 45 macronuclear nodules, 18-23 adoral membranelles, three frontal, three to five frontoterminal and two to five transverse cirri, and four or five midventral cirral pairs followed posteriorly by five to seven single cirri. Both species have three marginal cirral rows on each body side and 3 long dorsal kineties. The Korean specimens of M. marina match the Chinese population in all main features. Metaurostylopsis songi differs from M. marina by the more slender body, the number of frontal cirri (invariably five vs. four), and the arrangement of cortical granules (in rows on dorsal and ventral cortex vs. only along dorsal kineties and anterior body margin). Metaurostylopsis salina differs from its congeners by the distinctly smaller size, the pyriform body shape, the scattered cortical granules (vs. in rows), and number of frontal cirri. It differs from M. marina also by the number of midventral cirral pairs (four or five vs. seven to 11).     

Morphology and Molecular Phylogeny of Two New Marine Euplotids,Pseudodiophrys nigricans n. g., n. sp., and Paradiophrys zhangi n. sp. (Ciliophora: Euplotida)

ABSTRACT. The morphology, infraciliature, and molecular phylogeny of Pseudodiophrys nigricans n. g., n. sp., and Paradiophrys zhangi n. sp., isolated from a sandy beach near Qingdao, China, were investigated. Pseudodiophrys is characterized by the Diophrys‐like ciliature pattern, but having only a single, reduced undulating membrane. Pseudodiophrys nigricans, the type species by monotypy, is described from live and silver‐impregnated specimens. Paradiophrys zhangi is similar to the type species Paradiophrys irmgard but can be recognized by its border body and the number (7 vs. 8–10) and arrangement (in rows vs. sparsely distributed) of the frontoventral cirri. Small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene sequence data support the validity of both species. Phylogenetic analyses based on the SSU rRNA gene sequence data currently available for uronychiids and other related taxa indicate that P. nigricans is most closely related to Diophrys scutum and Diophrys apoligothrix, while P. zhangi clusters most closely with Apodiophrys ovalis within a clade that also includes two other Paradiophrys species.     

青岛沿岸吸管虫(原生动物,纤毛门)一新属、新种及九新纪录种记述

对采自青岛沿岸的10种吸管目纤毛虫做了形态学报道,包括9个国内新纪录：结节壳吸管虫Acineta tuberosa,粗壮壳吸管虫Acineta foetida,扁平壳吸管虫Acineta compressa,钟状贝吸管虫Conchacineta complatana,锯齿杯吸管虫Actinocyathula crenata,小甲吸管虫Loricophrya parva,具边似壳吸管虫Paracineta limbata,冠状斑吸管虫Ephelota mammillata,生芽斑吸管虫Ephelota gemmipara;以及一新属、新种,半球拟粘管虫Paramucophrya semisphaerice gen.nov.et sp.nov.。     

中国土壤纤毛虫一新种和五新纪录种(原生动物,纤毛门)

记述了采自甘肃麦积山风景名胜区和兴隆山国家级自然保护区土壤中的纤毛虫,包括1新种和中国5新纪录种:拟迪氏角毛虫Keronopsis paradieckmanni sp.nov.,多泡伪拟斜管虫Pseudochilodonopsis polyvacuolata,梨形四膜虫 Tetrahymena pyriformis,穴居斯道克虫 Sterkiella cavicola,四棘毛管膜虫Cyrtohymenta tetracirrata和优雅游仆虫 Euplotes elegans.     

Notes on the soil ciliate biota (Protozoa, Ciliophora) from the Shimba Hills in Kenya (Africa): diversity and description of three new genera and ten new species

A very diverse ciliate community was found in nine soil samples from the Shimba Hills Nature Reserve in Kenya, equatorial Africa. The ciliates, respectively, their resting cysts, were re-activated from air-dried samples using the non-flooded Petri dish method. Species were determined from life and by silver impregnation. 34 (27%) of the 125 taxa identified had not yet been described in 1985, when the samples were collected and investigated. The richest samples, each containing 59 species, were those from a deciduous primary forest and a young secondary pine forest. The most remarkable species discovered in the Shimba Hills were Krassniggia auxiliaris, Bresslauides terricola, Gigantothrix herzogi, and Afrothrix darbyshirei. They are flagships with a very distinct morphology and easy to recognise due to their extraordinarily large body size. Krassniggia auxiliaris occurs also in Australia and probably has a restricted Gondwanan distribution, like some other ciliates. Bresslauides terricola was later found in soils from all main biogeographical regions, except for Antarctica. Gigantothrix herzogi and Afrothrix darbyshirei are still unique to the Shimba Hills. The following taxa are described in detail: Sikorops woronowiczae nov. gen., nov. spec., Arcuospathidium multinucleatum nov. spec., Dileptus similis Foissner, 1995, Plagiocampa bitricha nov. spec., Drepanomonas exigua exigua Penard, 1922, D. exigua bidentata nov. sspec., Parafurgasonia protectissima (Penard, 1922) nov. comb., P. terricola nov. spec., Brachyosoma brachypoda mucosa nov. sspec., Gigantothrix herzogi nov. gen., nov. spec., Afrothrix darbyshirei nov. gen., nov. spec., Oxytricha africana nov. spec., and O. elegans nov. spec.     

Apical Feeding in the Karyorelictids (Protozoa, Ciliophora) Sultanophrys arabica and Tracheloraphis sp.

Sultanophrys arabica and Tracheloraphis sp., two interstitial karyorelictid ciliates, were cultivated in sealed 100–200 ml glass bottles half-filled with filtered interstitial water to which some millilitres of the natural organism community and a couple of wheat grains were added. Removing sand grains and sealing the bottles were crucial to achieve a low oxygen tension milieu, which was maintained by the algae contained in the community. This cultivation method provided, for the first time, rich cultures with many feeding, dividing, and conjugating cells. Both species were omnivorous and fed through the apical end, where a well-developed oral apparatus is present. Apical feeding was documented by micrographs of living specimens and by scanning electron microscopy of preserved cells.     

南汇东滩湿地围垦水域内浮游动物群落结构的变化

2010年10月-2011年7月对南汇东滩围垦水域和坝外自然水域的浮游动物进行调查,研究了两水域内浮游动物的种类组成、丰度、生物量、优势种和生物多样性等生态学特征参数的季节变化,并初步探讨了围垦内外水域浮游动物群落的结构差异,及其与盐度、水温和人类活动等环境因子的关系.结果表明:围垦水域和坝外自然水域共检获浮游动物30种,其中围垦水域浮游动物24种,以轮虫的种类数最多;坝外自然水域浮游动物14种,其中桡足类占绝对优势.围垦水域浮游动物的年平均丰度明显高于坝外自然水域,年平均生物量则相反.围垦水域以角突臂尾轮虫、萼花臂尾轮虫和广布中剑水蚤等淡水种为主要优势种,而坝外自然水域则以中华华哲水蚤、火腿许水蚤和虫肢歪水蚤等河口半咸水种为主要优势种,且两水域优势种均存在季节更替.坝外水域浮游动物Shannon多样性指数(H)值和Pielou均匀度指数(J)值均明显高于围垦水域,Margalef丰富度指数(d)值和单纯度指数(C)值低于围垦水域.群落聚类和MDS结果表明,围垦水域浮游动物的群落结构与坝外自然水域存在明显差异.围垦是引起被围水域浮游动物群落结构变化的主要原因,盐度、潮汐动力等是导致动物群落结构改变的主要环境因子.     

广东大亚湾七种腹毛类纤毛虫(原生动物,纤毛门)的形态学研究

利用活体观察和蛋白银染色技术对采自广东大亚湾沿岸水体的7个南海新纪录种:紧缩全列虫Holosticha diademata(Rees,1883)Kahl,1932、缩颈半腹柱虫Hemigastrostyla enigmatica(Dragesco & Dragesco-Kernéis,1986)Song&Wilbert,1997、念珠腹棘虫Gastrocirrhus monilifer(Ozaki & Yagiu,1942)Curds & Wu,1983、四核舍太虫Certesia quadrinudeata Fabre-Domergue,1885、斯特后尾柱虫Metaurostylopsis struederkypkeae Shao et al.,2008、盐尖毛虫Oxytricha saltans(Cohn,1866)Kahl,1932、小心毛虫Caryotricha minuta(Xu et al.,2008)Miao et al.,2009等腹毛类纤毛虫进行了形态学再研究,补充了有关活体形态学、纤毛图式以及性状变异等分类学新信息.结果显示,该7种的南海种群与我国北方海域种群之间存在不同程度的形态学差异.     

世界今生砂壳纤毛虫名录

砂壳纤毛虫隶属于纤毛门、旋毛纲、环毛亚纲、砂壳目.本文总结了自Kofoid和Campbell(1929)以来的分类学资料,参照Lynn(2008)的分类系统,整理成世界砂壳纤毛虫新名录.厘清砂壳纤毛虫共有15科69属954种,其中海洋种为15科69属925种,淡水种为3科5属29种.在所有属中,以拟铃虫属(Tintinnopsis包含物种最多,为137种,其中海洋种为118种.我国水体共记录有13科36属164种,海洋种13科36属144种,淡水种2科3属20种.除杯形铃壳虫(Codonella cratera)、湖泊领细壳虫(Stenosemella lacustris)、蜉蝣筒壳虫(Tintinnidium ephemeridum)、蝌蚪筒壳虫(Tintinnidium ranunculi)、半缘筒壳虫(Tintinnidium semiciliatum)、纺锤拟铃虫(Tintinnopsis fusiformis)、伊利诺拟铃虫(Tintinnopsis illinoisensis)、卵圆拟铃虫(Tintinnopsis ovalis)、圆柱拟铃虫(Tintinnopsis cylindrata)、这9个种外,其他淡水种在我国都有记录.该名录中,除了已有中文名的159种外,其余的种我们给出了中文译名,并将部分译为似铃虫属(Tintinnopsis)的中文名统一为拟铃虫属,部分译为麻铃虫属(Leprotintinnus)的中文名统一为薄铃虫属,将截短角口虫(Salpingella decurtata)改为截短号角虫,将冰生拟铃壳虫(Codonellopsis glacialis)改为冰生类铃虫.     

Interstitial Protozoa and Algae of Louisiana Salt Marshes

SYNOPSIS. The majority of Louisiana salt marshes consists of stagnant pools among a vegetation of Spartina spp. and Distichlis spicata. The sediments constitute a "sulphide biome,'with Eh values reaching to –350 mV. The 200 interstitial ciliate species had definite stratification. Generally, algivores and omnivores occurred in the upper, and bactivores in the lower layers of the sediments. Compaction of particles prevented the flexible and large ciliates from inhabiting the lower layers, while Eh below –200 mV limited the distribution of some species but favored certain bactivores. The pH/Eh range and the abundance of nutrients in the sulfide biome provide habitable conditions for all the major groups of microflora. These, in turn, support nutritionally diverse predatory ciliate populations.     

围垦滩涂不同生境冬季大型底栖动物群落结构

通过2004年1月对杭州湾南岸慈溪围垦后滩涂湿地不同生境大型底栖动物的取样调查,研究了围垦滩涂湿地中的芦苇干地(PCDS)、芦苇潮地(PCMS)、芦苇水地(PCIS)、互花米草干地(SADS)、互花米草潮地(SAMS)、互花米草水地(SAIS)、混合植被干地(ADS)、养殖水塘(UP)、荒废水塘(DP)9类生境的底栖动物群落结构及其多样性特征,分析了影响围垦后滩涂底栖动物群落的主要因素.取样共获得13种大型底栖动物,隶属2门3纲7目,其中大部分为软体动物腹足类和节肢动物甲壳类,底表生活型和底内生活型占优势.9类生境中的大型底栖动物群落的Shannon-Wiener多样性指数(H')为SAMS>PCMS>SADS>PCDS=SAIS>PCIS>ADS>DP>UP,Pielou均匀度指数(J)为SAMS>PCMS>SADS>PCDS>ADS>SAIS>PCIS>DP>UP,和Simpson优势度指数(D)为PCMS>SAMS>SADS>PCDS>ADS>SAIS>PCIS>DP>UP.群落系统聚类显示9类生境可聚为4大类,分别是潮地类、干地类、水地类和水塘类.潮地、干地、水地和水塘中的物种数分别为10、6、10、5种,动物密度分别为45、40、87、240ind./m2,生物量分别为23.67、15.11、14.81、8.23 g/m2;H'、J、D的值均沿潮地→干地→水地→水塘方向递减.二维非度量多维标度群落排序的结果支持聚类排序的结果,并且由二维排序图推测影响群落排序的主要因素是水文条件和群落的复杂程度;分析亦表明,滩涂围垦后大型底栖动物群落主要受水文条件的影响,此外底质、植被演替、人工干扰和物种间关系对其也有影响.     

Study of Domestic Sewage Waste Treatment by the Polychaetes,Neanthes japonica and Perinereis nuntia var. vallata,on an Artificial Tidal Flat

In order to establish a new biological method of treating sewage waste, mass cultures of the polychaete annelids, Neanthes japonica and Perinereis nuntia var. vallata, were employed. These species are known to ingest a large quantity of sewage sludge extracted from domestic sewage treatment plants. During this study, laboratory experiments were carried out to determine the effects of changes in various environmental factors on sludge consumption and growth. A pilot plant with an artificial tidal flat simulating natural estuarine tidal flat conditions was constructed and operated as a habitat for the polychaetes. The suitability of this artificial tidal flat for the treatment of sewage waste was discussed.