title: Morphology and phylogeny of two species of Loxodes (Ciliophora, Karyorelictea), with description of a new subspecies, Loxodes striatus orientalis subsp. n.
abstract: The morphology and phylogeny of Loxodes vorax and L. striatus orientalis subsp. n. were investigated based on infraciliature and small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene sequence data. Loxodes striatus orientalis subsp. n. was separated from L. striatus striatus stat. n. by having fewer dikinetids in the intrabuccal kinety (35-55 vs. 50-70) and a variable number of macronuclei (2-4 vs. 2). In addition, the SSU rRNA gene sequence of the new subspecies differs in 13 and 11 nucleotides from that of two populations of the nominotypic subspecies. We also summarized the morphological differences between Loxodes and Remanella based on the data available. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the genus Loxodes was monophyletic and nested within Remanella species. This study might, therefore, support the hypothesis that the freshwater genus Loxodes evolved from the marine genus Remanella.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China; Laboratory of Protozoology, Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China.
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Hongbo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Miao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miao
authors.forename: Xiaozhong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Saleh A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Al-Farraj
authors.forename: Khaled A S
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Al-Rasheid
authors.forename: Weibo
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D016798:Ciliophora / Q000145:classification* / Q000166:cytology* / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D005618:Fresh Water; D020459:Genes, rRNA; D048648:Macronucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010802:Phylogeny; D012623:Seawater; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004275:DNA, Ribosomal
keywords: Ciliates; Remanella; SSU rRNA gene; freshwater; infraciliature