Observations sur Quelques Ciliés Astomes des Oligochètes du lac d'Ohrid (Yougoslavie). I. Famille des Radiophryinae.

Abstract

SYNOPSIS. Six species of astomatous Infusoria, 4 new, are described from the alimentary tract of Oligochaeta from Ochrida Lake. Two belong to Ochridanus, characterized by a cytoskeleton whose “V”‐shaped basal piece bears on its branches two articulated hooks brought together by a skeletal blade. This genus found in Ochridanous Tubificidae represents the counterpart of Anthonyella in the Lumbriculidae of Lake Baïkal. The presence of Ochridanus in these worms concurs with the almost complete absence of representatives of Radiophrya of which we have found but one species. A species of Metaradiophrya, a genus unknown to date from the Lumbricidae, was noticed in Glossoscolecidae. The different species of Ochridanus, Anthonyella, Metaradiophrya, and Radiophrya compose a very homogeneous group of Radiophryinae. The study of the ciliary rows and the cytoskeleton of 2 species of Juxtaradiophrya, parasitic in the Lumbriculidae of Ochrida, shows that, in the morphology of these ciliates, as well as in the same forms from Lake Baïkal, many transition characteristics exist between the Radiophryinae and Hoplitophryinae or Mesnilellinae. These 3 sub‐families, with their undeniable genetic kinship give coherence to the family Hoplitophryidae.