Morphology and infraciliature of two new species of marine oligotrich ciliates (Ciliophora: Oligotrichida) from China

Two new marine oligotrich ciliates, Parallelostrombidium paralatum nov. sp. and Strombidium montagnesi nov. sp., were isolated from the littoral area of Qingdao (Tsingtao), China. The morphology and infraciliature of each was studied using live observation and protargol impregnation. Based on the Qingdao population, the diagnosis for P. paralatum is given: marine Parallelostrombidium, in vivo about 70660 mm; dorsoventrally flattened ca 2: 3; cell ellipsoidal in outline with conspicuous apical protrusion; on average 27 anterior and 17 ventral membranelles; two posteriorly directed thigmotactic membranelles; macronucleus broadly ellipsoidal; extrusomes ca 10 mm long, arranged along equatorial area; girdle and ventral kineties with 71-99 and 32-42 dikinetids, respectively. Strombidium montagnesi nov. sp. is characterized thus: small marine Strombidium,30620 mm in vivo with truncated conical cell shape and conspicuous equatorial ridge; hemitheca covering the posterior one-quarter to one-third of the cell; dorsoventrally flattened ca 2:3; about 21 anterior membranelles and six ventral membranelles; girdle kinety located in posterior one-quarter to one-third of the cell and has 25-27 dikinetids, while ventral kinety has 6-12 dikinetids; extrusomes ca 5 mm long, arranged along girdle kinety; single ellipsoidal macronucleus centrally positioned.