Won Je Lee

This study was carried out in two hypersaline lakes (Acı and Meke Lakes) in Turkey to understand the diversity and geographic distribution of free-living heterotrophic flagellates. Heterotrophic flagellates of hypersaline environments have not previously been studied in Turkey. We found seventeen morphospecies of heterotrophic flagellates with one unidentified protist. The observed species belong to Craspedida, Heterolobosea, Apusomonadida, Neobodonida, Bicosoecida and Protista incertae sedis. Of the 17 species, ten species were new records for Turkey. All of the morphospecies described here except one unidentified protist were previously reported elsewhere and appear to be cosmopolitan.

This is the first study of free-living heterotrophic flagellates in intertidal sediments of Saros Bay, Aegean Sea (Turkey). In order to contribute to an understanding of the geographic distribution of free-living marine heterotrophic flagellates, we investigated the diversity of heterotrophic flagellates occurring in the bay from 25th June 2010 to 10th October 2010. Thirty eight species from 30 genera of heterotrophic flagellates and one unidentifi ed taxon are reported with uninterpreted records based on light-microscopy. The records consist of one apusomonad, one cercomonad, two choanofl agellates, two cryptomonads, 12 euglenids, one heteroloboseid, one kathablepharid, three kinetoplastids, six stramenopiles, two thaumatomonads and seven of uncertain affinities. All of the morphospecies described here was previously reported elsewhere and appear to be cosmopolitan.

A total of 155 species and 75 genera were found at marine sediments in Sydney region (Australia) and are described using light microscopy: 117 species at Port Botany, 111 species at Kogarah Bay, 94 species at Woolooware Bay, 126 species at Quibray Bay, 74 species at Avoca beach, 48 species at Watsons Bay. The records include accounts of 15 unidentified taxa and two new taxa: Eoramonas jungensis sp. nov. (Eoramonas gen. nov.), Protaspa flexibilis sp. nov. Most flagellates described here have been found at other locations worldwide, but many species not reported from any other locations. I am unable to assess if these species are endemic because of the lack of intensive studies elsewhere. However, these results suggest that the flagellate communities from Botany Bay are distinctive.

A total of 85 morpho-species of heterotrophic flagellates are reported from sediments at depths from 25–3000 m in the Gippsland Basin (Australia). They are drawn from the apusomonads, cercomonads, cryptomonads, euglenids, heteroloboseids, stramenopiles, thaumatomonads, and groups of uncertain taxonomic affinities (Protista incertae sedis). Three new species, Ancyromonas impluvium nov. spec.,Kurnaimonas celeris nov. spec., Sinistermonas sinistrorsus nov. spec., one combination, Psammosa unguis nov. comb., and one unidentified species are described. The biogeography of the species seen in Gippsland Basin is discussed with reference to studies in other localities. It appears that many heterotrophic flagellates are cosmopolitan.