Abstract
Generally, “ophrys- related” scuticociliates belong to a specialised group of ciliated protozoa that may act as commensals or pathogens of fishes and crustaceans. In the present study, four “ophrys- taxa” scuticociliates, i.e., Paramesanophrys typica gen. et sp. nov., Mesanophrys carcini (Grolière & Léglise, 1977) Small & Lynn in Aescht, 2001, Metanophrys sinensis Song & Wilbert, 2000, and Metanophrys similis Song et al., 2002, were collected from Chinese coastal waters or mariculture ponds and investigated. Paramesanophrys gen. nov. is assigned to the family Orchitophryidae and differs from its other genera mainly by the position of the paroral membrane relative to membranelle 1–3, i.e., the membrane extends anteriorly to the posterior end of membranelle 3. The type species P. typica gen. et sp. nov., is defined by an elongated body with the posterior end depressed where the caudal cilium is located; 20 or 21 somatic kineties; double-rowed membranelle 1 with eight to ten basal bodies in each kinety; irregularly multi-rowed membranelle 2 and membranelle 3; scutica comprising c. seven or eight kinetosome pairs; a single macronuclear nodule; and marine habitat. The redescription of the three previously known species can be summarized as follows: 1) improved diagnosis is provided for Metanophrys sinensis Song & Wilbert, 2000 based on the original description and the present study; 2) some population-dependent characteristics of our new Mesanophrys carcini isolate are presented; 3) Metanophrys similis, collected from the South China Sea, resembles the original Qingdao population.
Highlights
Ciliates in the subclass Scuticociliatia, commonly found in ecosystems worldwide, exhibit a great biological diversity and play important roles in marine ecosystems (Thompson & Kaneshiro 1968; Foissner & Wilbert 1981; Cawthorn et al 1996; Lynn & Strüder-Kypke 2005; Fan et al 2011a, b, 2014; Pan et al 2013a, b; Castro et al 2014; Foissner et al 2014; Zhan et al 2014)
Orchitophryidae with cytostome above mid-body; buccal apparatus consisting of three Parauronemalike membranelles; paroral membrane (PM) with zigzag structure, extending anteriorly to posterior end of M3; membranelle 1 (M1) composed of two rows of kinetids; scutica comprising basal body pairs arranged in a line parallel to somatic kineties; single caudal cilium
Size in vivo about 90–100 × 25–35 μm, elongate body, with pointed anterior end and narrowly rounded caudal end; posterior end distinctly depressed where caudal cilium located; buccal field approximately 40% of body length; 20 or 21 somatic kineties; M1 with 8–10 basal bodies in each kinety; membranelle 2 (M2) and M3 irregularly multi-rowed; scutica comprising c. seven kinetosome pairs; single macronuclear nodule; contractile vacuole caudally positioned; marine habitat
Summary
Ciliates in the subclass Scuticociliatia, commonly found in ecosystems worldwide, exhibit a great biological diversity and play important roles in marine ecosystems (Thompson & Kaneshiro 1968; Foissner & Wilbert 1981; Cawthorn et al 1996; Lynn & Strüder-Kypke 2005; Fan et al 2011a, b, 2014; Pan et al 2013a, b; Castro et al 2014; Foissner et al 2014; Zhan et al 2014). Many of them are common pathogens of fishes and invertebrates and can cause severe disease or even death in economically important aquaculture animals (Pérez-Uz & Song 1995; Song & Wilbert 2002; Fan et al 2009, 2010; Mallo et al 2014; Ofelio et al 2014) Due to their small body size and a high degree of similarity in ciliature, the taxonomy of this group of organisms remains difficult and confusing (Thompson 1964; Agatha et al 1993; Song 2000; Song & Wilbert 2000; Pan et al 2010). Metanophrys and Mesanophrys are the most closely related (body slender, with apical plate absent, cytostome in the anterior half of the body and three Parauronema-like membranelles), with their main difference being the position of the PM relative to M2 (PM extending anteriorly to the middle portion of M2 in Metanophrys vs. to the posterior end of M2 in Mesanophrys) (Small & Lynn 1985; Strüder & Wilbert 1992; Song & Wilbert 2000)
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