Morphological descriptions of new and little-known benthic ciliates from Ganghwa tidal flat, Korea.
Ciliates are highly diverse in the benthos where there are rare species to be unrevealed and described. By isolating species during successive and diversified cultivations, we discovered several new and interesting taxa from the top layer sediment of a muddy site in the Ganghwa tidal flat. These include three new species Spirodysteria ganghwaensis n. sp., Uronemella parafilificum n. sp., Zosterodasys minuta n. sp., and one poorly known form Loxophyllum chaetonotumBorror 1965. The morphology of live cells and infraciliature of these four species are described based on living observations, protargol impregnations, and morphometrics. Diagnoses and improved definitions are also provided. The newly established genus Spirodysteria n. g. differs from Dysteria mainly in its spirally twisted body shape. Spirodysteria kahli (Tucolesco 1962) n. comb. (formerly Dysteria kahliTucolesco 1962) has been included in this new genus.
Gong
Jun
J
Regional Research Center for Coastal Environments of Yellow Sea, CCEYS, Inha University, Incheon 402-751, Korea.
Choi
Joong Ki
JK
Roberts
David McL
DM
Kim
Sun Young
SY
Min
Gi Sik
GS
D000818:Animals; D016798:Ciliophora / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000469:parasitology*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000469:parasitology; D007723:Korea; D013045:Species Specificity