Three new intestinal protozoan species of the genus Latteuria n.g. (Ciliophora: Trichostomatia) from Asian and African elephants

Three new ciliate species presumably belonging to the family Paraisotrichidae were recognized in the fecal samples from zoo-kept Asian and African elephants. All the ciliates possess a unique but similar arrangement of somatic ciliature, thus a new genus Latteuria n.g. has been created for them. The genus is characterized by the presence of a tapered frontal ‘spout’ at the anterior end of the body, posterior ciliary rows in narrow grooves encircling the posterior half of the body and an anterior arch of cilia. Latteuria polyfaria n.sp. is the largest species in the genus with 9–11 posterior ciliary rows. In L. media n.sp., of medium body size, the number of rows varies from four to six, and the smallest species, L. trifaria n.sp., has only three-four posterior ciliary rows.