First Record of Two Urostyloid Ciliates (Spirotrichea: Urostylida: Urostyloidea) from Brackish Water in Korea

Abstract

Two urostyloid ciliates, collected from brackish water in Korea, were identified as Diaxonella pseudorubra pseudorubra (Kaltenbach, 1960) Berger, 2006 and Pseudokeronopsis flava (Cohn, 1866) Wirnsberger, Larsen and Uhlig, 1987. The description was based on living, protargol impregnated specimens. These species are described as follows: Diaxonella pseudorubra pseudorubra: body size in vivo <TEX>$145-230{\times}40-60\;{\mu}m$</TEX>, elongated ellipsoidal in shape. Cytoplasm reddish and flexible. Adoral zone of membranelles occupied 30-40% of the body; composed of 33-44 membranelles; 1-3 frontoterminal cirri, 1-4 frontal row cirri, 4-6 buccal cirri, 6-10 transverse cirri. Midventral rows composed of 14-24 cirri, four left marginal rows, one right marginal row. Two kinds of cortical granules; the larger one is yellowish and the smaller one is reddish. Pseudokeronopsis flava: body size in vivo <TEX>$150-210{\times}30-45\;{\mu}m$</TEX>, elongated ellipsoidal shape. Cytoplasm yellowish and flexible. Adoral zone of membranelles occupied 25-30% of body; composed of 44-58 membranelles in number. Frontal cirri forming bicorona composed of 5-7 cirral pairs, 2-3 frontoterminal cirri, one buccal cirrus, and 2-3 transverse cirri. Midventral rows composed of 18-33 cirri, 34-53 left marginal cirri, and 40-58 right marginal cirri. Two kinds of cortical granules; the larger one is colorless and "blood-cell-shaped," and the smaller one is yellowish. Diaxonella pseudorubra pseudorubra is different from the most similar subspecies, D. pseudorubra pulchra, in cytoplasmic color and number of midventral cirri. Pseudokeronopsis flava is different from its most similar congeners in pigment granular color, number of bicorona, number of midventral cirri, and position of the contractile vacuole.