TINDINNID CILIATES (PROTOZOA, CILIOPHORA) FROM COASTAL WATERS OFF XIAMEN

Tintinnids are the best known group of marine ciliates and recognized as indicator species of different water masses due to their hard loricae. In the present study, a number of tintinnid species were identified based on samples obtained at six representative sites located in the Bay of Amoy from May 2015 to March 2016. Samples were collected from surface water, concentrated using 20 μm mesh, fixed by ethanol (>80% final concentration), and then stored at dark and cool conditions for further analysis. Tintinnids were isolated under a stereomicroscope and the morphological characteristics of lorica were examined under compound light microscope and documented using a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. Totally, 27 species were identified includingTintinnopsis (20 species), Favella (1 species), Stenosemella (1 species), Codonellopsis (2 species), and Leprotintinnus (3 species), respectively. Besides, Tintinnopsis ventricosoides species (Meunier, 1910) was believed as the first record in China. Based on their lorica features, all species were here detailed.