title: Description and phylogeny of a new prostomatid, Metacystis similis nov. spec. (Protista, Ciliophora) from the East China Sea.
abstract: The living morphology and infraciliature of a new marine prostomatid, Metacystis similis nov. spec., have been observed and investigated. Based on both morphological and molecular biological data, several closely-related and easily confused taxa were compared. The diagnosis for this new taxon: cylindrical marine Metacystis with a slightly blunt anterior end, in vivo 50-70 x 18-23 μm; body not loricate, uniformly cinctured by 16-18 transverse rings of cilia, which are also arranged in 32-36 longitudinal kineties; oral apparatus consisting of one circumoral dikinety and six girdles of densely packed monokinetids; single spherical macronucleus located in the center of the body; caudal region possessing one transparent, protruding hemicycle terminal vacuole. Information concerning the small-subunit rRNA gene sequence of the new species was also provided.
authors.affiliation: School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province 315211, China School of Ocean, Yantai University, Yantai 264005, China; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Xiumei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: School of Ocean, Yantai University, Yantai 264005, China; Email: daodeji@126.com.
authors.forename: Daode
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.affiliation: Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 17 Chunhui Rd, Laishan District Yantai, Shandong 264003; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Qianqian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province 315211, China; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Chenghua
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000825:Animal Structures / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development; D000818:Animals; D049628:Body Size; D002681:China; D016798:Ciliophora / Q000145:classification* / Q000166:cytology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D009929:Organ Size; D010802:Phylogeny