MORPHOLOGICAL DESCRIPTIONS OF TEN SPIROTRICHEAN CILIATES FROM CHINA (PROTOZOA, CILIOPHORA)

Ten species of spirotrichean ciliates, i.e., Pseudoamphisiella lacazei, P. quadrinucleata, Apoholosticha sinica, Tunicothrix wilberti, Metaurostylopsis marina, Notohymena apoaustralis, Diophrys apoligothrix, D. oligothrix, D. scutum and Paradiophrys zhangi, collected from intertidal zone, mangroves and freshwater habitats of Shandong and Guangdong, China, were morphologically investigated with live observation and protargol staining methods. Morphological descriptions and morphometric data were provided. The current research revealed that N. apoaustralis, D. apoligothrix and P. zhangi were first recorded in Guangdong province. Based on the new data, P. zhangi was redefined as below: body ca. (70—110) μm×(40—60) μm in vivo, rectangular, with sculptured surface; adoral zone bipartite, composed of 26—34 membranelles; endoral membrane reduced or absent; mostly four transverse and two ventral cirri, five or six frontal cirri; consistently three left marginal and three caudal cirri, six dorsal kineties, and two globular macronuclear nodules. A. sinica can survive under environments with different salinity, which suggests that it may have a wide geographical distribution. For the first time D. oligothrix was found having strong ability to adapt to the environment.