Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 2005 No. 1: 9 Feb. 2009
Type: Article
Published: 2009-02-09
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.2005.1.5
Page range: 57–66
Abstract views: 62
PDF downloaded: 1

Morphological studies and molecular data on a new marine ciliate, Apokeronopsis sinica n. sp. (Ciliophora: Urostylida), from the South China Sea

Laboratory of Protozoology, Key Laboratory of Ecology and Environmental Science in Guangdong Higher Education, College of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
Laboratory of Protozoology, Key Laboratory of Ecology and Environmental Science in Guangdong Higher Education, College of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
Laboratory of Protozoology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
Laboratory of Protozoology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
Laboratory of Protozoology, Key Laboratory of Ecology and Environmental Science in Guangdong Higher Education, College of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China Department of Zoology, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Rd, London SW7 5BD, UK
Laboratory of Protozoology, Key Laboratory of Ecology and Environmental Science in Guangdong Higher Education, College of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
Department of Biology, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Laboratory of Protozoology, Key Laboratory of Ecology and Environmental Science in Guangdong Higher Education, College of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China Laboratory of Protozoology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
Protozoa Clear Water Bay infraciliature key 18S rRNA

Abstract

The morphology of a new marine urostylid ciliate, Apokeronopsis sinica n. sp., collected from the Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, was investigated. Additionally, the SSrRNA gene was sequenced in order to make a comparison at molecular level. Based on both morphological and molecular data, descriptions and comparisons with its congeners are provided. Apokeronopsis sinica is characterized by: body size about 150–200 × 50–65 µm in vivo; two kinds of cortical granules; about 20 cirri in frontal area which form the non-typical bicorona; 2 frontoterminal, ca. 4 buccal and 10 transverse cirri; midventral complex consists of 21–32 pairs of cirri; on average 35 right and 30 left marginal cirri; about 50 membranelles; invariably 3 dorsal kineties. A key to the identification of the known Apokeronopsis species was suggested. The small subunit rRNA gene sequence differences between Apokeronopsis sinica and its congeners range from 1.64% to 3.72%.

References

  1. Berger, H. (2006) Monograph of the Urostyloidea (Ciliophora, Hypotricha). Monographiae Biologicae, 85, 1–1304.

    Borror, A. & Wichlow, B. (1983) The suborder Urostylina Jankowski (Ciliophora, Hypotrichida): morphology, systematics and identification of species. Acta Protozool, 22, 97–126.

    Claparède, É. & Lachmann, J. (1858) Études sur les infusoires et les rhizopodes. Mémoires de l'Institut National Genevois, 5, 1–260.

    Corliss, J.O. (1979) The ciliated protozoa. Characterization, classification and guide to the literature. 2nd ed. Pergamon Press, Oxford, 455 pp.

    Gong, J., Song, W. & Warren, A. (2005) Periphytic ciliate colonization: annual cycle and responses to environmental conditions. Aquatic Microbial Ecology, 39, 159–170.

    Gong, J., Song, W., Warren A., Lin, X. & Roberts, D. (2007) Microscopical observations on four marine Dysteria species (Ciliophora, Cyrtophorida). European Journal of Protistology, 43, 147–161.

    Gao, S., Chen, Z., Shao, C., Long, H., Al-Rasheid, K. & Song, W. (2008) Reconsideration of the phylogenetic position of Frontonia-related Peniculia (Ciliophora, Protozoa) inferred from the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene sequences. Acta Protozoologica, 47, 47–54.

    Hu, X. & Song, W. (2000) Infraciliature of Pseudokeronopsis qingdaoensis nov. spec. from marine biotope (Ciliophora: Hypotrichida). Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica, 25, 361–364 [in Chinese with English summary]

    Jankowski, A. (1979) Revision of the order Hypotrichida Stein, 1859. Generic catalogue, phylogeny, taxonomy. Trudy Zoologicheskogo Instituta, Leningrad, 86, 48–85 [in Russian with English summary]

    Li, L., Song, W., Warren, A., Yi, Z., Roberts, D. & Hu, X. (2008) Morphology and morphogenesis of a new marine hypotrichous ciliate, Apokeronopsis bergeri nov. spec. from the Yellow Sea, China (Ciliophora, Hypotrichida). European Journal of Protistology, 44, 208–219.

    Lin, X., Li, J., Gong, J., Warren, A. & Song, W. (2008) Taxonomic studies on three marine pleurostomatid ciliates, Litonotus bergeri nov. spec., L. blattereri nov. spec. and L. petzi nov. spec. (Ciliophora, Pleurostomatida) from North China Sea. European Journal of Protistology, 44, 91–102.

    Long, H., Liu, H., Liu, W., Miao, M., Hu, X., Lin, X. & Song, W. (2008) Two new ciliates from Hong Kong coastal water: Orthodonella sinica n. sp. and Apokeronopsis wrighti n. sp. (Protozoa: Ciliophora). Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology, 55, 321–330.

    Medlin, L., Elwood, H.J., Stickel, S. & Sogin, M.L. (1988) The characterization of enzymatically amplified eukaryotic 16S-like rRNA-coding regions. Gene, 71, 491–499.

    Petz, W. (1995) Morphology and morphogenesis of Thigmokeronopsis antarctica nov. spec. and T. crystallis nov. spec. (Ciliophora, Hypotrichida) from Antarctic sea ice. European Journal of Protistology, 31, 137–147.

    Shao, C., Hu, X., Al-Rasheid, K., Song, W. & Warren, A. (2007) Cell development of the marine spirotrichous ciliate Apokeronopsis crassa (Claparède & Lachmann, 1858) nov. comb. (Ciliophora: Stichotrichia), with the establishment of a new genus Apokeronopsis. Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology, 54, 392–401.

    Shao, C., Miao, M., Li, L., Song, W., Al-Rasheid, K., Ma, H., Hu, X. and Chen, Z. (2009) Morphogenesis and morphological redescription of a poorly known ciliate Apokeronopsis ovalis (Kahl, 1932) nov. comb. (Ciliophora: Urostylida). Acta Protozoologica, (in press).

    Shen, Z., Lin, X., Long, H., Miao, M., Liu, H., Al-Rasheid, K. & Song W. (2008) Morphology and SSU rDNA gene sequence of Pseudoamphisiella quadrinucleata n. sp. (Ciliophora, Urostylida) from the South China Sea. Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology, (in press).

    Song, W., Wilbert, N. & Hu, X. (2004) New contributions to the marine hypotrichous ciliate, Pseudokeronopsis qingdaoensis Hu & Song, 2000 (Protozoa: Ciliophora: Stichotrichida). Cahiers de Biologie Marine, 45, 335–342.

    Wilbert, N. (1975) Eine verbesserte Technik der Protargolimprägnation für Ciliaten. Mikrokosmos, 64, 171–179.