CILIATE (PROTOZOA) EPIBIONTS OF DEEP-WATER ASELLOTE ISOPODS (CRUSTACEA): PATTERN AND DIVERSITY

Abstract

Abstract Examination of 32 species from seven families of marine asellote isopods (Crustacea, Malacostraca) showed that 15 of these species were infested with ciliate epibionts. The diversity of the ciliate epibiosis was fairly high (mean = 3.8 epibiont ciliate species per host species; range 1 to 10 species). Ciliates were absent from species of the family Janiridae and were rare on desmosomatids. The prevalence was high (≥ 37%) on two ischnomesid species (Ischnomesus norvegicus and Heteromesus frigidus), and on three munnopsid species (genus Ilyarachna). Mean intensity was fairly low (1.3–10.5) overall, but high on I. norvegicus (29.2). Some ciliate species showed host preferences. Predatory ciliates (subclass Suctoria) were most common on host species of the families Munnidae and the Nannoniscidae and some of the Ischnomesidae species, whereas suspension-feeding ciliates (subclass Peritrichia) were found on six host species only, belonging to the family Ischnomesidae or the subfamily Ilyarachninae (Mun...