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Universität Salzburg, FB Organismische Biologie, Salzburg, Austria

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Description of Leptopharynx bromeliophilus nov. spec. and Leptopharynx australiensis nov. spec. (Ciliophora, Nassulida)

Atef Omar

Acta Protozoologica, Volume 50, Issue 2, 2011, pp. 89-103

https://doi.org/10.4467/16890027AP.11.011.0011

Using standard morphological methods, we describe two new Leptopharynx species, each discovered in a specific biogeographic region and habitat. Leptopharynx bromeliophilus nov. spec., a minute species (25 × 20 μm) discovered in tanks of bromeliads from Jamaica, is small-mouthed and has a slightly concave preoral region, an average of 27 basal bodies in kinety 4, and a total of 142 basal bodies on average. Leptopharynx australiensis nov. spec., a comparatively large species (40 × 25 μm) discovered in jungle soil of Australia, is large-mouthed and has a distinctly oblique preoral region, widely spaced kinetids in kinety 1, a total of 184 basal bodies on average, and the oral primordium is inside of a cortical fold thus appearing right of the posterior end of kinety 1. Four new features are recognized for distinguishing Leptopharynx species: (1) to have a monomorphic (producing either small- or large-mouthed cells) or polymorphic (producing microstomes and macrostomes) life cycle; (2) the spacing of the kinetids in kinety 1 as either ordinary or wide; (3) the shape (flat or concave) and angle (≤ 15° slightly oblique, ≥ 40° distinctly oblique) of the preoral region; and (4) the total number of basal bodies, which has proven statistically.

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Three New Microthoracids (Ciliophora, Nassophorea) from Austria and Venezuela

Atef Omar

Acta Protozoologica, Volume 53, Issue 4, 2014, pp. 295-311

https://doi.org/10.4467/16890027AP.14.027.2022

Using standard methods, we describe three new microthoracids. Drepanomonas minuta nov. spec. is characterized by a small size (in vivo about 22 × 11 µm) and a curious distribution pattern of the extrusomes, viz., only one trichocyst each in mid of dorsal margin and near posterior end of ventral side. Body size and shape of D. minuta highly resemble D. revoluta – for which a new morphometric characterization is provided – which, however, has a deep, broad furrow on the left side and more than 10 extrusomes. Drepanomonas multidentata nov. spec. was discovered in ephemeral grassland puddles on the north coast of Venezuela. It is a comparatively large species (in vivo 45 × 25 µm) with a total of nine spines, of which those on the left posterior half form a highly characteristic tridentate pattern. Curiously, this species lacks extrusomes. Leptopharynx lajacola nov. spec. was discovered in an ephemeral puddle on a granitic outcropping (Laja) in Venezuela. This species resembles L. costatus but is unique in having a quadrangular outline and a strongly curved oral basket with the opening directed posteriorly. In the past four years, we have described 10 new microthoracids, showing that their diversity is far from being exhausted.

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