Morphological and taxonomical studies on two soil haptorid ciliates (Ciliophora, Litostomatea): Clavoplites haranti sp. n. and Enchelys terrenum (Foissner, 1984) comb. n., and taxonomy of the family Enchelyidae Ehrenberg, 1838

The morphology and infraciliature of two soil haptorid ciliates, Clavoplites haranti sp. n. and Enchelys terrenum (Foissner, 1984) comb. n., collected from Malé Karpaty Mts. and Biele Karpaty Mts. (Slovakia), were investigated using live observation and protargol impregnation. Clavoplites haranti is distinguished from its congeners by a combination of characters including: theronts spatulate to slenderly fusiform, trophonts bursiform, size about 60 x 25 microm in vivo; massive oral bulge with broadly clavate to lemon-shaped, 1.5-2 microm long extrusomes arranged in a ring in oral bulge; ellipsoidal macronucleus and one globular micronucleus; on average 13 ciliary rows, 3 anteriorly differentiated to an inconspicuous dorsal brush. Enchelys terrenum is about 85 x 30 microm in size and differs from its congeners by a combination of characters including spatulate shape; massive oral bulge with 4-6 microm long, fusiform extrusomes arranged in a ring in oral bulge; ellipsoidal to reniform macronucleus and one globular micronucleus; usually 19 ciliary rows, 3 anteriorly differentiated to an ordinary dorsal brush. The diagnoses of the family Enchelyidae and the genus Enchelys are improved. The new genus Armatoenchelys differs from the genera Enchelys and Apoenchelys in having both body and oral bulge extrusomes. Enchelys geleii, E. longitricha, and E. vermiformis are transferred to the new genus.     

Morphology,Conjugation, and Postconjugational Reorganization of Dileptus tirjakovae n. sp. (Ciliophora,Haptoria)

ABSTRACT. We studied the morphology, conjugation, and postconjugational reorganization of a new haptorid ciliate, Dileptus tirjakovae n. sp., using conventional methods. Dileptus tirjakovae is characterized by two abutting, globular macronuclear nodules and scattered brush kinetids. Conjugation is similar to that in congeners, that is, it is temporary, heteropolar, and the partners unite bulge‐to‐bulge with the proboscis. Some peculiarities occur in the nuclear processes: there are two synkaryon divisions producing four synkaryon derivatives, of which two become macronuclear anlagen, one becomes the micronucleus, and one degenerates. Unlike spathidiids, D. tirjakovae shows massive changes in body shape and ciliary pattern before, during, and after conjugation: early and late conjugants as well as early exconjugants resemble Spathidium, while mid‐conjugants resemble Enchelyodon. These data give support to the hypothesis that spathidiids evolved from a Dileptus‐like ancestor by reduction of the proboscis. Dileptus tirjakovae exconjugants differ from vegetative cells by their smaller size, stouter body, shorter proboscis, and by the lower number of ciliary rows, suggesting one or several postconjugation divisions. Although 83% of the exconjugants have the vegetative nuclear pattern, some strongly deviating specimens occur and might be mistaken for distinct species, especially because exconjugants are less than half as long as vegetative cells.     

Ontogenesis of Dileptus terrenus and Pseudomonilicaryon brachyproboscis (Ciliophora, Haptoria)

ABSTRACT. Dileptids are haptorid ciliates with a conspicuous proboscis belonging to the oral apparatus and carrying a complex, unique ciliary pattern. We studied development of body shape, ciliary pattern, and nuclear apparatus during and after binary fission of Dileptus terrenus using protargol impregnation. Additional data were obtained from a related species, Pseudomonilicaryon brachyproboscis . Division is homothetogenic and occurs in freely motile condition. The macronucleus is homomeric and condenses to a globular mass in mid-dividers. The proboscis appears in late mid-dividers as a small convexity in the opisthe's dorsal brush area and maturates post-divisionally. The oral and dorsal brush structures develop by three rounds of basal body proliferation. The first round generates minute anarchic fields that will become circumoral kinetofragments, while the second round produces the perioral kinety on the right and the preoral kineties on the dorsal opisthe's side. The dorsal brush is formed later by a third round of basal body production. The formation of various Spathidium -like body shapes and ciliary patterns during ontogenesis and conjugation of Dileptus shows a close relationship between spathidiids and dileptids. On the other hand, the peculiarities of the dileptid morphology and ontogenesis indicate a long, independent evolution.     

Morphological and molecular characterization of the name-bearing type species Rimaleptus binucleatus (Kahl, 1931), with a phylogenetic re-analysis of dileptid evolutionary history (Ciliophora: Litostomatea: Rhynchostomatia)

We collected Rimaleptus binucleatus from soil in the surroundings of the town of Ulsan, South Korea. Its morphology and 18S rRNA gene were studied using standard methods. This possibly widely distributed species is characterized by: (i) a size of about 170–400 × 20–65 μm; (ii) a narrowly to cylindrically dileptid body with proboscis occupying about 30–65% of body length; (iii) two dorsal contractile vacuoles; (iv) two size groups of rod-shaped extrusomes; and (v) about 18–29 ciliary rows, 4–6 of them anteriorly differentiated into a staggered dorsal brush. Phylogenetic analyses of five new rhynchostomatian 18S rRNA gene sequences supported monophylies of the orders Tracheliida and Dileptida, but revealed that the genera Rimaleptus and Pseudomonilicaryon are polyphyletic. Monophyly of genera with two macronuclear nodules was consistently rejected, but monophylies of dileptids with many scattered macronuclear nodules and of dileptids with moniliform macronucleus and multi-rowed dorsal brush could not be excluded by statistical topology tests. Nevertheless, phylogenetic network analyses indicated considerable conflict in the phylogenetic signal provided by the 18S rRNA gene to resolve unambiguously relationships among dileptid genera.     

Soil Ciliates from Saudi Arabia, Including Descriptions of Two New Genera and Six New Species

Six soil samples from natural and cultivated sites of Saudi Arabia were investigated for ciliate diversity, using the non-flooded Petri dish culture method, live observation, and silver impregnation. We identified 135 species, all new for the fauna of Saudi Arabia, of which seven were undescribed: Spathidium alqasabi nov. spec.; Enchelyodon alqasabi nov. spec.; Metauroleptus arabicus nov. gen., nov. spec.; Pseudohemisincirra arabica nov. gen., nov. spec.; Saudithrix terricola? Berger, Al-Rasheid and Foissner, 2006; Oxytricha arabica nov. spec.; and Erimophrya monostyla nov. spec. Based on Spathidium alqasabi, S. seppelti foissneri? Vd'a?ny et al., 2006 and S. seppelti etoschense? Foissner et al., 2002 are raised to species rank; for the latter, a new name is required to avoid homonymy: Spathidium fraterculum nov. nom. The new genus Metauroleptus, which possesses two long and two to three short ventral cirral rows, generates all dorsal kineties intrakinetally and produces caudal cirri exclusively in dorsal kinety 1. Metauroleptus belongs to the hypotrichs, while family classification remains doubtful. The same applies to the new hypotrich genus Pseudohemisincirra, which has frontoventral and transverse cirri, while buccal cirri and caudal cirri are absent. The number of species contained in Saudi Arabian soils, including sand dunes, is in the range reported from other regions of the earth, suggesting that ciliates are well adapted to dry habitats, possibly mainly by their ability to produce very resistant resting cysts, most surviving for a long time due to reduced metazoan predation.     

Taxonomic studies on three marine pleurostomatid ciliates, Litonotus bergeri nov. spec., L. blattereri nov. spec. and L. petzi nov. spec. (Ciliophora, Pleurostomatida) from North China Sea

The morphology and infraciliature of three pleurostomatid ciliates, Litonotus bergeri nov. spec., L. blattereri nov. spec. and L. petzi nov. spec., collected from mariculture ponds near Qingdao (Tsingtao), China, were investigated using live observations and the protargol impregnation method. These new species are distinguished from their congeners by a combination of characters including the typical distribution of extrusomes, i.e., along entire ventral margin, the number of macronuclear nodules, features and number of somatic kineties, living morphology, number and position of contractile vacuoles and their marine biotopes. Considering the distribution of extrusomes and general morphology, five new combinations are suggested, Litonotus vermiforme (Sauerbrey, 1928) nov. comb. [basionym: Loxophyllum vermiforme Sauerbrey, 1928], Litonotus levigatum (Sauerbrey, 1928) nov. comb. [basionym: Loxophyllum levigatum Sauerbrey, 1928], Litonotus undulatum (Sauerbrey, 1928) nov. comb. [basionym: Loxophyllum undulatum Sauerbrey, 1928], Loxophyllum pictus (Gruber, 1884) nov. comb. [basionym: Litonotus pictus Gruber, 1884] and Loxophyllum trichocystiferus (Foissner, 1984) nov. comb. [basionym: Litonotus trichocystiferus Foissner, 1984].     

Description of Four New Soil Dileptids (Ciliophora, Haptoria), with Notes on Adaptations to the Soil Environment

We studied the morphology of four new dileptid ciliates, using standard methods. Dileptus microstoma, which was discovered in Benin (Africa), is outstanding in having a very small oral opening (~4 μm), an interrupted dorsal row of contractile vacuoles, and ampulliform extrusomes. Dileptus semiarmatus, which was discovered in Austria, possesses extrusomes only in the right posterior half of the proboscis and has very widely spaced circumoral and perioral kinetids. Dileptus longitrichus, which was discovered in Japan, is almost unique in having up to 15 μm long brush bristles and a row of contractile vacuoles each in ventral and dorsal side of body. Pseudomonilicaryon brachyproboscis, which was discovered in Greece, differs from the congeners by the narrowly ellipsoidal micronuclei, the dimorphic dorsal brush, the extrusomes, and the contractile vacuole pattern. Four new features are introduced for distinguishing species in dileptids: shape of micronucleus, monomorphic/dimorphic dorsal brush, shape of oral opening, and spacing of circumoral dikinetids. The terrestrial dileptids share several distinct morphological features that are probably adaptations to the soil environment: (1) the body is comparatively slender and small, what is likely related to the narrowness of the habitat; (2) the proboscis is short, which increases the relative volume of the trunk, what might be related to its fragility and/or to the space available for prey digestion; (3) the long dorsal bristles might foster prey recognition; and (4) the pronounced body flexibility in all dileptids likely fosters their high diversity in the narrow and wrinkled soil habitat.     

Kiitricha minuta n. sp., a peculiar hypotrichous ciliate (Ciliophora, Spirotrichea) from the Yellow Sea

The morphology and infraciliature of a new ciliate, Kiitricha minuta n. sp., isolated from the Yellow Sea, were investigated using live observation and protargol impregnation. Kiitricha minuta represents a third member of the rarely known order Kiitrichida. It is unique in the subclass Hypotrichia in having many rows of small uniform cirri along the right side of the body and the dorsal kineties composed of dikinetids, most of which bear two cilia. Kiitricha minuta n. sp. is ovoid and measures about 60 x 45 microm in vivo. It has a huge buccal cavity occupying about 80% of the body length, numerous body extrusomes, one macronucleus and two micronuclei, 27-27 adoral membranelles, 9-12 frontoventral cirral rows, a submarginal row of 7-9 cirri, 6 or 7 transverse cirri, and roughly 7-9 dorsal kineties. This new species differs distinctly from its only congener Kiitricha marina by its smaller size (60 microm vs. 80-150 microm), the presence of body extrusomes (vs. absent), the different macronuclear pattern (one vs. two nodules), and the lower number of frontoventral cirral rows (9-12 vs. 21-26), which terminate at the anterior two-thirds of body (vs. extend to the posterior). The new term "submarginal cirral row" is introduced to distinguish from the marginal cirral row in typical hypotrichs sensu lato. Based on our new observations and the literature, an improved diagnosis for the genus Kiitricha is provided and its phylogenetic importance is discussed.     

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).     

Description of two new marine pleurostomatid ciliates, Loxophyllum choii nov. spec. and L. shini nov. spec. (Ciliophora, Pleurostomatida) from China

The morphology and infraciliature of two pleurostomatid ciliates, Loxophyllum choii nov. spec. and L. shini nov. spec., collected from inshore waters and a shrimp-culturing pond near Qingdao (Tsingtao), China, were investigated using live observations and the protargol-impregnation method. L. choii is distinguished from its congeners by the presence of conspicuous warts and prominent spines along the dorsal margin. L. shini is identified by a combination of characters including the small body size, the presence of two macronuclear nodules and the evenly distributed extrusomes whose tips protrude from the surface along both margins.     

Two vicariant Semispathidium species from tropical Africa and central Europe: S. fraterculum nov. spec. and S. pulchrum nov. spec. (Ciliophora,Haptorida)

Using standard methods, we describe two new Semispathidium species from semiterrestrial habitats of tropical Africa and central Europe. Semispathidium fraterculum nov. spec. and S. pulchrum nov. spec. differ from each other and from two Namibian (Southwest African) congeners by body size, the shape and location of the extrusomes; the shape of the macronucleus, the number of ciliary rows, the number of cilia within the rows, and the number of dikinetids comprising the dorsal brush rows. The globular resting cyst of S. fraterculum is unique in having countless granules on the inside of the external layer, forming sharp-angled rows. The distribution of these and two further, not yet described south African species indicates that the genus Semispathidium evolved in subtropical Africa. Semispathidium fraterculum and S. pulchrum are highly similar, both morphologically and ecologically, differing in mainly one important feature: the shape and location of the extrusomes used for prey capture. This suggests that they evolved from a common ancestor whose areal was divided by a vicariant event, causing an independent evolution of the split populations. We argue that this and other species pairs indicate that the vicariance speciation model is applicable to protists.     

Urotricha psenneri n. sp. and Amphileptus piger (Vuxanovici, 1962) n. comb., two planktonic ciliates (Protozoa, Ciliophora) from an oligotrophic lake in Austria

Two euplanktonic ciliates, Urotricha psenneri n. sp. (Prostomatida) and Amphileptus piger (Vuxanovici, 1962) n. comb. (Pleurostomatida), were discovered in the surface plankton of the oligotrophic Lake Traunsee in Austria. Their morphology and infraciliature were studied in live cells as well as in specimens impregnated with protargol and silver nitrate. Urotricha psenneri is a small urotrichid, less than 50 microm length and with a single caudal cilium. It is unique in having (i) a massive oral basket projecting as a conspicuous bulge with cylindrical microfibrillar annulus and (ii) a curved brosse row 1 in the broad, barren circumoral area. Amphileptus piger (Vuxanovici, 1962) is about 55 x 13 microm in vivo, has two macronuclear nodules with a single micronucleus in between in the posterior body half, has a single contractile vacuole with a terminal excretory pore, and few, but thick and thus highly conspicuous extrusomes. The amphileptid ciliary pattern (spica) is difficult to recognise due to the widely spaced basal bodies.     

Observations on soil haptorid ciliates (Protozoa,Ciliophora) from Slovakia

The morphology and morphometry of five soil haptorid ciliates (Apospathidium terricola, Diplites telmatobius, Armatoenchelys geleii, Paraenchelys terricola, and Spathidium aciculare), collected from a variety of terrestrial habitats in Slovakia (Central Europe), were investigated using live observation and protargol impregnation. Emphasis was given on the ciliary pattern, the fine structure of dorsal brush, as well as the shape and size of the extrusomes. The Slovak specimens of A. geleii differ considerably from other populations investigated in detail by body size and micronuclei number. Furthermore, the most important difference concerns the number of dorsal brush rows (4 vs. 3). Therefore, it was decided to establish a new subspecies, namely Armatoenchelys geleii barborae ssp. n., for the Slovak population. Shape and nuclear variants of A. terricola and P. terricola are presented and morphometrically characterized. Novel details on the dorsal brush structure of A. terricola and D. telmatobius are reported. Pair formation and exconjugant nuclear reconstruction in P. terricola are described. Two species, namely A. terricola and S. aciculare, are first records for the Holoarctic biogeographic region.     

Morphology and ciliary pattern of some rare haptorid ciliates, with a description of the new family Kamburophryidae (Protists, Haptoria)

We investigated three rare haptorid ciliates, viz., Lagynophrya gibba Kahl (1935), Enchelys lajacola nov. spec., and Spathidium implicatum Kahl (1930), using live observation, silver impregnation, morphometry, and scanning electron microscopy. Lagynophrya gibba, which was rediscovered in peatland soil from Iceland, is referred to a new genus, Kamburophrys, and a new family, Kamburophryidae, based on a unique organelle, the brush membranoid. This structure is near the dorsal brush and composed of very narrowly spaced cilia, about 5 μm long. The genus Kamburophrys has a unique combination of features, viz., an oral cone on the oral bulge, an oblique circumoral kinety, and a subapical hump carrying the three-rowed dorsal brush and the brush membranoid. The Kamburophryidae possibly belong to the order Spathidiida. Enchelys lajacola was discovered in mud from granitic rock-pools (Lajas) in Venezuela, South America. The new species is characterized by a bottle-like shape, a macronucleus with the shape of a curved strand, a heterostichad dorsal brush, and rod-shaped toxicysts. Spathidium implicatum, which was rediscovered in an ephemeral meadow puddle near Salzburg city centre, is neotypified and referred to the genus Apertospathula because it has an open circumoral kinety.     

Morphology and infraciliature of Holosticha bradburyae nov. spec. (Ciliophora,Hypotrichida) from the Yellow Sea,China

The living morphology and infraciliature of a new marine hypotrichous ciliate, Holosticha bradburyae nov. spec., collected from the coastal water off Qingdao (Tsingtao), China, are investigated. This species is characterized by: body size 150–320 × 25–75 m with brownish to dark brown cell colour, ca. 53 adoral membranelles and 1 anteriorly positioned buccal cirrus; 3 frontal, 2 frontoterminal and 20–26 transverse cirri; midventral rows comprising 27-32 pairs of cirri; one conspicuous gap always present between anterior and posterior parts of AZM, and 2–5 distinctly elongated membranelles are always present at the posteriormost end; cortical granules conspicuous, round and flattened with central depression, arranged in about 10 lines on dorsal side; 28–33 irregularly arranged macronuclear nodules; 9–11 complete dorsal kineties; caudal cirri absent.     

The morphology and morphogenesis of a marine ciliate,Epiclintes auricularis rarisetus nov. sspec. (Ciliophora,Epiclintidae), from the Yellow Sea

The morphology and morphogenesis of a marine ciliate, Epiclintes auricularis rarisetus nov. sspec., collected from Qingdao, northern China were studied on live and protargol-impregnated specimens. This isolate can be recognized by its elongate, contractile and tripartite body with a size of 200-400×20-40 μm in vivo, about 30 ventrally located adoral membranelles, short undulating membranes, 2-3 frontal and 10-18 transverse cirri as well as 8-9 fronto-midventral rows, 22-31 left and 35-54 right marginal cirri, but no caudal cirri, invariably 3 dorsal kineties, of which kineties 1 and 3 link together anteriorly, 24-70 macronuclear nodules, marine habitat, and contribution of almost all frontal-midventral transverse cirral anlagen (FVT anlagen) to the formation of fronto-midventral rows. In its divisional morphogenesis, this species demonstrates some features rarely if ever found in any other urostyloids, e.g. partial replacement of the old adoral zone of membranelles, de novo formation of the oral primordium and the anlagen for marginal rows and dorsal kineties, contribution of almost all FVT anlagen to the transverse cirri, lack of frontoterminal cirri. In addition, its morphogenesis appears to differ in detail from that of E. auricularis auricularis nov. stat., based on published data. These remarkable morphogenetic traits of Epiclintes suggests a questionable systematic position for this genus in the Urostyloidea, therefore, further researches are urgently needed.     

Morphology and Morphogenesis of Metopus hasei Sondheim, 1929 and M. inversus (Jankowski, 1964) nov. comb. (Ciliophora, Metopida)

ABSTRACT The morphology and morphogenesis of Metopus hasei Sondheim, 1929 and M. inversus (Jankowski, 1964) n. comb, were investigated using live observation, silver impregnation, and scanning electron microscopy. Metopus has a spiral body organization and the ventral margin of the preoral dome bears five specialized ciliary rows, that form the so-called perizonal stripe. Division is homothetogenic, occurs in freely motile (i. e. non-encysted) condition, and includes a partial reorganization of the parental oral apparatus. During division, the complicated cell shape becomes ellipsoidal and all ciliary rows arrange meridionally. Stomatogenesis is entirely somatic (≅ pleurotelokinetal) and commences with the formation of kinetofragments in some dorsolateral kineties. The fragments become the opisthe's adoral membranelles, while the paroral membrane is generated by the left two perizonal ciliary rows, which proliferate kinetids intrakinetally. The perizonal stripe of the opisthe is generated by the three right parental perizonal kineties, which divide, and by two dorsolateral ciliary rows, which are added. The morphogenetic processes, especially the unique mode of formation of the paroral membrane, are used to define the order Metopida Jankowski, 1980 n. stat. more properly. The ontogenetic, ultrastructural, and sequence data available give no clear indication about metopid phylogeny, but definitely exclude metopids from the classical heterotrichs, with which they were classified for more than 100 years. Accordingly, we place the Metopida as incertae sedis in the subphylum Intramac-ronucleata Lynn, 1996.     

Morphology and Molecular Phylogeny of a New Haptorian Ciliate,Chaenea mirabilis sp. n., with Implications for the Evolution of the Dorsal Brush in Haptorians (Ciliophora,Litostomatea)

We discovered a new haptorian ciliate, Chaenea mirabilis sp. n., in brackish water collected near the town of Busan, Korea. Its morphology was studied using standard taxonomical methods and its phylogenetic relationships were assessed by phylogenetic analysis of the 18S rRNA gene. Chaenea mirabilis is distinguished from all congeners by the combination of the following traits: (i) a narrowly bursiform to flask‐shaped, 60–100 μm long body; (ii) 11–21 doughnut‐shaped or sometimes horseshoe‐shaped macronuclear nodules; (iii) two types of extrusomes: type I is rod‐shaped and 6–8 μm long, while type II is narrowly to broadly teardrop‐shaped and only 1.5–2 μm long; (iv) highly refractive special granules tightly arranged between the first and second brush row, forming a conspicuous bulge; and (v) 12–13 somatic kineties. In the 18S rRNA gene phylogeny, C. mirabilis clustered with full support with other congeners. However, there was no statistical support for classification of Chaenea into the families Fuscheriidae, Acropisthiidae, or Trachelophyllidae, but a sister relationship with the Lacrymariidae could not be excluded. Therefore, we establish a new family, Chaeneidae, within the order Lacrymariida. This affiliation is strongly corroborated by the distinctly subapical dorsal brush bearing cilium‐like bristles.     

Description of Deviata rositae n. sp., a new ciliate species (Ciliophora, Stichotrichia) from Argentina

Soil samples were taken from a temporary pond located in Buenos Aires province, Argentina, during the dry phase in the summer of 2005. The ciliates were studied alive and after staining with protargol. Deviata rositae n. sp. measures 112-154 microm in length and 21-28 microm in width in vivo and has a vermiform body. The contractile vacuole is located in the mid-body on the left. The macronucleus is moniliform and there are 1-3 micronuclei. The oral apparatus is composed of 14-18 adoral membranelles and straight paroral and endoral membranes that never intersect each other. The somatic ciliature is arranged in four frontal cirri, one buccal cirrus, six long and slightly spiraled rows of cirri with the first right row extending up to the equatorial or sub-equatorial region, and two dorsal rows of dikinetids. This new species of Deviata primarily differs from its congeners by the number of macronuclear nodules and the number and disposition of the dorsal rows of dikinetids.     

Morphology and cell division of Saudithrix terricola n. gen., n. sp., a large, stichotrich ciliate from Saudi Arabia

The morphology and main ontogenetic traits of a new stichotrich ciliate, Saudithrix terricola Foissner, AL-Rasheid and Berger n. gen., n. sp., from a terrestrial habitat in Saudi Arabia were investigated using live observation, protargol impregnation, and scanning electron microscopy. Saudithrix terricola is characterized by a large (200-350 x 70-150 microm), flexible body; an adoral zone formed like a three-quarter circle; a sickle-shaped buccal lip with a widened paroral forming a cyrtohymenid pattern with the endoral; 11 frontal and frontal-ventral cirral rows (including right marginal rows) and one left marginal row covering the ventral side; two buccal cirri; six to nine transverse cirri; three dorsal kineties; and two macronuclear nodules. The resting cyst is about 85 microm across, has a smooth wall, and a fluffy mucous layer. Most cirral anlagen originate within the parental rows and are arranged side by side, the proximal portion of the adoral zone of membranelles is reorganized, and some parental dorsal bristles are maintained. Neither the morphological nor the ontogenetic data reveal the systematic position of Saudithrix within the stichotrichs. The term multicorona is introduced and describes a frontal ciliature composed of four or more cirral bows.