落叶生境蛭态轮虫物种多样性及四种中国新记录种

为研究落叶生境蛭态轮虫物种多样性, 对中国8省28个落叶样品进行了调查, 采样范围涵盖中国热带、亚热带及温带地区, 海拔高度从3 m到1500 m不等, 共记录蛭态轮虫3科8属29种, 其中中国新记录属1属, 中国新记录种4种, 将中国蛭态轮虫记录由88种增加到92种。研究获取了新记录种跛足突盘轮虫(Bradyscela clauda Bryce, 1893)的COⅠ序列, 与基因库中同科物种的COⅠ基因序列聚类比对, 证明了跛足突盘轮虫的遗传位置。结果表明, 落叶生境蛭态轮虫物种多样性较高。因此, 在调查苔藓和土壤等生境的同时, 应加强对落叶生境的研究力度, 以期发现更多的蛭态轮虫新记录种、特有种和新种。     

中国蛭态轮虫亚纲6种新记录种记述

轮虫是浮游动物的重要组成部分,蛭态轮虫作为轮虫动物门的重要类群,因其孤雌生殖、低湿休眠和水平基因转移的特性成为国际上的研究热点。蛭态轮虫物种的形态学鉴定是进行其生态学、分子生物学和基因工程研究的基础,具有重要意义。本研究以广东白云山和火炉山为调查区域,共发现蛭态轮虫中国新记录科1科,即原轮科（Philodinavidae Harring,1913）,新记录属2属,即原盘轮属（Henoceros Milne,1916）和双趾轮属（Didymodactylos Milne,1916）,以及新记录种6种,包括有尾原盘轮虫[H. caudatus（Hauer,1937）]、巨趾原盘轮虫[H. falcatus（Milne,1916）]、多肉双趾轮虫[D. carnosus（Milne,1916）]、皇家敖突轮虫[Otostephanos regalis（Milne,1916）]、圆腹粗颈轮虫[Macrotrachela kallosoma（Schulte,1954）]以及长肌宿轮虫[Habrotrocha longiceps（Murray,1906）]。通过显微照片和模式图详细记述了新记录种的形态结构特征。本研究丰富了我国蛭态轮虫的物种记录,同时也为后续应用研究提供基础资料和分类参考。     

蛭态轮虫及研究动态

蛭态轮虫是国际无脊椎动物学研究领域关注的热点话题之一。通过对国内外文献的调研,本文重点介绍了蛭态轮虫的形态结构和生物学特征;归纳阐述了蛭态轮虫在形态学、生物多样性与动物地理学、孤雌生殖和低湿休眠发生机理、横向基因转移等领域的最新研究进展。已有的蛭态轮虫研究成果不仅对经典遗传学、生物化学和生理学等的传统理论提出了新的挑战,同时在"转基因"生物安全、新药研究和基因治疗方面也具一定的参考意义;国际上对蛭态轮虫新种的报道和区系的研究成果对丰富全球无脊椎动物多样性以及完善动物地理分布模式都有重要的参考价值。基于该类轮虫研究的现状及其在生物学上意义,建议国内应加强蛭态轮虫的研究。     

附藓蛭态轮虫分离法的比较与分离条件的探索

蛭态轮虫是附藓无脊椎动物中常见的类群,由于个体较小,观察难度大,尤其是对其分离困难,故对此类群的研究一直落后于其他轮虫类群。本文以文献报道附藓蛭态轮虫的分离方法为基础,设定了不同的实验组,比较了不同分离方法的分离效率,并探讨了不同分离条件对附藓蛭态轮虫分离效率的影响。结果显示:与简单的震荡复苏法相比,蔗糖震荡复苏法可分离出更多的蛭态轮虫,且在分离条件为p H 7.8、温度20℃和湿度60%时可达到最高的分离效率。文中还就各分离条件对分离效率的影响进行了讨论。     

美洲龟甲轮虫的分类特征及与我国热带地区常见龟甲轮虫的比较

美洲龟甲轮虫Keratella americana Carlin,1943年被认为主要分布在美洲地区,但陆续报告在其他地区有出现。2015年在对华南地区浮游动物调查时发现,星云湖、抚仙湖、百色水库及飞来峡水库中均出现该种类。检测了广西百色水库中龟甲轮虫的COⅠ序列,与已知美洲龟甲轮虫序列相似度高达98%。中国该龟甲轮虫种群与墨西哥美洲龟甲轮虫种群间差异度为2%,进一步确定为美洲龟甲轮虫。文章描述了美洲龟甲轮虫形态及生境,使用扫描电镜法比较了美洲龟甲轮虫、螺形龟甲轮虫Keratella cochlearis（Gosse,1851）、热带龟甲轮虫Keratella tropica（Apstein,1907）及无棘龟甲轮虫Keratella tecta（Gosse,1851）的咀嚼器。美洲龟甲轮虫主要特点为:背甲长度远大于宽度,侧中棘刺短于侧棘刺,背甲中央最后一个板块未封闭,向后棘刺延伸。4种龟甲轮虫咀嚼器主要区别在于砧基的形状,美洲龟甲轮虫砧基比其他3种轮虫发达,螺形龟甲轮虫砧基似“T”形,热带龟甲轮虫砧基为扇形,无棘龟甲轮虫平直。种间的砧基存在明显差异,可作为热带地区龟甲轮属的分类依据。     

珠江广州河段轮虫的时空分布研究

2004年4月-2007年3月,对珠江广州河段轮虫群落结构的时空变化进行了三年的调查研究。调查期间,共发现轮虫56种。优势种为裂痕龟纹轮虫(Anuraeopsis fissa),微型多突轮虫(Proalides subtilis),西式三肢轮虫(Filinia novaezealandiae),角突臂尾轮虫(Brachionus angularis),尾突臂尾轮虫(Brachionus caudatus),暗小异尾轮虫(Trichocerca pusilla),蛭态目(Bdelloidea sp.)和萼花臂尾轮虫(Brachionus calyciflorus)。调查发现,珠江径流量对轮虫密度有重要影响。在丰水期,两个采样站点(分别为中大码头和黄埔码头)的轮虫密度变化不大,而在枯水期,位于下游的黄埔码头的轮虫密度显著低于上游的中大码头。轮虫的密度高峰出现在秋季(9月底至12月初)。中大码头轮虫的最高峰出现在2004年12月初,为5975ind./L;黄埔码头的轮虫高峰出现在2004年4月中旬,为5877ind.·L^-1。轮虫密度变化范围为4~5975 ind.·L^-1。中大码头轮虫密度的平均值为1627±233 ind.·L^-1;而黄埔码头的平均值为1051±147 ind.·L^-1。     

分子生物学技术在轮虫遗传多样性和系统发生研究中的应用

分子生物学技术,如等位酶分析、DNA序列分析、限制性片段长度多态性、随机扩增多态、重复DNA序列多态性,在轮虫研究中的应用始于上世纪70年代,研究领域主要是轮虫群体遗传学、生物变异与多样性和系统发生与进化,被研究的轮虫种类主要集中在臂尾轮虫属、晶囊轮虫属和蛭态轮虫的一些种类。着重介绍分子生物学技术在轮虫遗传学和系统学研究中的应用,并对今后的研究热点提出了展望。     

武汉东湖若干种轮虫休眠卵的形态观察

休眠卵是轮虫在恶劣生态条件下形成的滞育结构。本研究用光学显微镜和扫描电子显微镜对东湖14种轮虫休眠卵形态进行了观察,其中关于尾突臂尾轮虫（Brachionuscaudatus,Barrois＆Daday）、方形臂尾轮虫（Bquadridentatus,hermann）、中型晶囊轮虫（Asplanchnaintermedia,Hudson）、顶生三肢轮虫（Filiniaterminalis,Plate）的休眠卵的形态特征尚未见过报道。这些休眠卵一般卵壳较厚,颜色较深,壳表面有纹饰。不同种轮虫的休眠卵形态、壳饰各不相同,具种的特异性,但在某些轮虫,即使同一种中休眠卵形态有时亦存在较大的差异。     

单只轮虫DNA提取及其细胞色素C氧化酶Ⅰ亚基部分序列测定

通过调整试剂剂量及实验条件与步骤 ,利用WizardTM基因组DNA纯化试剂盒可以稳定、快捷地提取单只轮虫的DNA。以提取的DNA为模板 ,利用COⅠ通用引物 ,扩增并测定了萼花臂尾轮虫 (Brachionuscalyci florus)COⅠ部分基因的序列。与褶皱臂尾轮虫 (B plicatilis)COⅠ基因序列比较结果表明 ,此片断确为轮虫COⅠ基因片断 ,从而证明使用本方法所提取单只轮虫痕量DNA的可靠性     

珠江广州河段轮虫群落结构的初步研究

2004年4月-2005年4月,对珠江广州河段轮虫群落结构特征进行了初步研究。经鉴定,共发现轮虫65种（包括亚种）,其中西氏三肢轮虫（Filinia novaezealandiae）、华美腔轮虫（Lecane elegans）为我国的新记录种。优势种为裂痕龟纹轮虫（Anuraeopsis fissa）、角突臂尾轮虫（Brachionus angularis）、尾突臂尾轮虫（Brachionus caudatus）、Filinia novaezealandiae、暗小异尾轮虫（Trichocerca pusilla）和微型多突轮虫（Liliferotrocha subtilis）。调查发现径流量对轮虫密度有重要影响,轮虫的两次密度高峰分别出现在春末夏初和秋季。丰水期,轮虫密度较低;枯水期前期,轮虫密度较高;枯水期后期,轮虫密度较低。此外,轮虫种群还受到温度、盐度等因素的影响。研究结果表明轮虫在河流生态系统中具有重要作用。     

On the reality and recognisability of asexual organisms: morphological analysis of the masticatory apparatus of bdelloid rotifers

Species concepts and definitions have been a long-standing debate in evolutionary biology since before Darwin, and almost all proposed solutions are based upon grouping and clustering, with species conceived as somehow biological distinct entities, originated and maintained mainly by reproductive isolation. Lacking reproductive exchange, asexual organisms such as bdelloid rotifers, the best-supported clade of so-called 'ancient asexuals', pose an interesting challenge to debates over the reality of species. However, few data are available on bdelloid rotifers. The only evidence has been that bdelloid species have been more consistently recognised than in their sister sexual group, the monogonont rotifers, across successive taxonomic treatments, but this is confounded by the much lesser degree of taxonomic interest in bdelloids. We applied geometric morphometrics analyses on shape and size of hard masticatory pieces, named trophi, of 1420 bdelloids, belonging to 48 populations of eight traditional species, to test the hypothesis of recognisability of bdelloids. Our morphological analysis confirms that traditional bdelloid species are separated distinct entities, possessing trophi morphologies divided by gaps between taxa, similar to patterns of morphological features in sexually reproducing organisms. In common with most microscopic understudied organisms, bdelloid rotifers harbour much previously undescribed diversity: we found significant differences in trophi morphology within traditional species, revealing the existence of cryptic taxa, similar to those also found in facultatively sexual monogonont rotifers. We confirm that recognisability in bdelloids is not qualitatively different from other small understudied animals such as monogononts, and that sexual versus asexual reproduction does not lead to differences in morphological diversity patterns, as previously suggested based on interpretation of taxonomic revisions.     

Otostephanos (Rotifera,Bdelloidea, Habrotrochidae) with the description of two new species

Abstract

We present a morphological feature-based key for the genus Otostephanos and describe two new species, O. jolantae sp. nov. and O. ukrainicus sp. nov. For O. jolantae sp. nov. we analysed the intraspecific morphological variability and provided the barcodes of mtCOX1 mitochondrial gene. Further, we developed a method to standardize measurements for the Philodina type of corona and trophi measurements of bdelloids. Otostephanos jolantae sp. nov. is a large rotifer with a smooth cuticle and bright red-orange gut; it can be distinguished from the known species by a high triangular upper lip with a tongue-like tip not divided into lobes, spade-shaped swollen rump, and 6/6 dental formula. It is found in Sphagnum collected in Poland, Ukraine and the Czech Republic. Otostephanos ukrainicus sp. nov. has a long body covered with coarse-grained cuticle on the last two neck segments, trunk and rump; it is distinguished by long narrow head and neck, saccular-like swollen trunk, spade-like rump, and a tiny foot. Unlike the other species of this genus, it has band-like upper lip with two narrow, sharp protrusions separated by an interspace, unusually small spurs and trophi with 5/5 major teeth. Thus far, it is only found in Ukraine, in pine and oak forest litter. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9FC484E3-67F5-43A9-8478-A7BE14FBE5E33     

A carnivorous bdelloid rotifer, Abrochtha carnivora n.sp.

Abstract. Here we describe a new bdelloid rotifer, Abrochtha carnivora n.sp., that preys on other bdelloids and monogonont rotifers. This is the first report of predatory behavior in bdelloids. Despite this extraordinary behavior, A. carnivora displays no major structural deviation from the standard body plan for members of the bdelloid family Philodinavidae: body with head (with ciliated corona), trunk, and foot, mastax with ramate trophi. The finding of such a carnivorous species, unique for the class, appears to contradict the common assumption that the wholly parthenogenetic bdelloids are evolutionary dead-ends.     

The Philodinavidae (Rotifera Bdelloidea): a special family

Here we focus on the fine morphology and present observations on the biology of representatives of family Philodinavidae. Philodinavus paradoxus and Henoceros falcatus were collected and cultured under laboratory conditions. Rotifers of both species are tiny, about 200 μm long, have protrudable trophi and creep with leech-like movements. A very specific feature of these rotifers is their corona; a V-shaped lower lip contours the mouth opening, bilaterally bordered by two arched cuticular structures (‘cheeks’). The presence of the cheeks is a feature shared by the third genus, Abrochtha. On the basis of the morphology and biology of the three genera, we advance the hypothesis that Philodinavus is a primitive bdelloid, and that it can have originated Henoceros and Abrochtha, from which the other bdelloids could have stemmed. This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

SEXUAL SPECIES ARE SEPARATED BY LARGER GENETIC GAPS THAN ASEXUAL SPECIES IN ROTIFERS

Why organisms diversify into discrete species instead of showing a continuum of genotypic and phenotypic forms is an important yet rarely studied question in speciation biology. Does species discreteness come from adaptation to fill discrete niches or from interspecific gaps generated by reproductive isolation? We investigate the importance of reproductive isolation by comparing genetic discreteness, in terms of intra‐ and interspecific variation, between facultatively sexual monogonont rotifers and obligately asexual bdelloid rotifers. We calculated the age (phylogenetic distance) and average pairwise genetic distance (raw distance) within and among evolutionarily significant units of diversity in six bdelloid clades and seven monogonont clades sampled for 4211 individuals in total. We find that monogonont species are more discrete than bdelloid species with respect to divergence between species but exhibit similar levels of intraspecific variation (species cohesiveness). This pattern arises because bdelloids have diversified into discrete genetic clusters at a faster net rate than monogononts. Although sampling biases or differences in ecology that are independent of sexuality might also affect these patterns, the results are consistent with the hypothesis that bdelloids diversified at a faster rate into less discrete species because their diversification does not depend on the evolution of reproductive isolation.     

Milnesium cfr. tardigradum (Milnesiidae, Apochela, Tardigrada): A Monitor of High Altitude Meiofauna on Sub-Antarctic Marion Island

The meiofaunal tardigrades Milnesium cfr. tardigradum, Echiniscus sp., and Macrobiotus sp. were extracted from high altitude moss and volcanic scoria samples on sub-Antarctic Marion Island. Gut contents of mounted Milnesium provided forensic evidence of a previously ignored diverse and abundant meiofauna including trophi of bdelloid rotifers, mouthparts and entire individuals of Diphascon sp. (Tardigrada).     

A quantitative method to extract moss-dwelling rotifers

One of the difficulties in working with bdelloid rotifers is to extract them from the substratum. In the present paper a method is suggested to separate moss-dwelling bdelloids and other animals quantitatively from their habitat. By this procedure it is possible to identify the entire spectrum of species and to calculate exactly their individual densities per unit area or dry weight of moss.     

A survey of introns in three genes of rotifers

Here we report on the occurrence and position of introns found in three genes of rotifers. A region of the gene for the TATA-box binding protein was examined in three species of Bdelloidea and one of Monogononta. There are two introns in both copies of this gene present in each of the three bdelloids examined – one at a position where introns occur in other eukaryotes and the other at a novel position; the monogonont has no introns in the region examined. A region of the gene encoding the 82 kD heat shock protein was examined in 10 species, with every rotifer class represented. Introns were found in only two species, both bdelloids: one of the species has an intron in all three copies of the gene; the other has an intron in only one of the three copies. Both introns occur at novel positions. The gene for triosephosphate isomerase was examined in one bdelloid. Both copies of the gene in this species contain introns, all at conserved positions: one copy contains five introns, the other copy three. These observations demonstrate the presence of introns in bdelloid rotifers, some in conserved positions, others apparently newly arisen during bdelloid evolution.     

Bdelloid Rotifers (Rotifera, Bdelloidea) as a Component of Soil and Land Biocenoses

Morphological, physiological, and ecological adaptations of bdelloid rotifers (phylum Rotifera, class Bdelloidea) to the conditions of soil and land biocenoses are described. The morphological structures, obligate parthenogenesis, and anhydrobiosis allowed these rotifers to colonize various semiaquatic areas with sharp fluctuations of environmental conditions: the edaphon, coniferous and deciduous litters, mosses, and lichens. The role of bdelloid rotifers in the food web and environmental indication is noted. Controversial problems concerning the origin of this group of worms are considered.