title: Redescription of the Little-known Ciliate Apoamphisiella vernalis (Stokes, 1887) Berger, 2006 (Ciliophora, Hypotricha) from the Atlantic Forest, Brazil.
abstract: Apoamphisiella Foissner, 1997 is a genus of hypotrichous ciliates reported to occur in various locations in the world, but that seems particularly widespread in the Americas. In this study, the first record of Apoamphisiella vernalis for Brazil is presented based on a population from the Atlantic Forest of the Minas Gerais state. A redescription of A. vernalis made from light and scanning electron microscopy observations unveils a unique combination of diagnostic features for this species, namely the presence of green cortical granules, one contractile vacuole lacking collecting canals, and the rear end of both left and right marginal cirral rows located at same level. Moreover, A. vernalis is found to be an omnivorous predator, feeding on arcelline testate amoebae, rotifers, and other organisms.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Biologia Molecular "Francisco Mauro Salzano", Inst. de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará - UFPA, CEP: 66075-110, Belém, PA, Brazil; Laboratório de Protistologia, Dept. de Zoologia, Inst. de Biologia, CCS, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro - UFRJ, CEP: 21941-590 Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Thiago Da Silva
authors.initials: Tda S
authors.lastname: Paiva
authors.forename: Roberto Júnio Pedroso
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Dias
authors.forename: Inácio Domingos
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Da Silva-Neto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D016798:Ciliophora / Q000145:classification / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D065928:Forests; D010802:Phylogeny; D011235:Predatory Behavior
chemical_list: D004275:DNA, Ribosomal
keywords: Holosticha; Oxytrichidae; South America; Spirotrichea; Stichotrichia