Morphology and Infraciliature of Two New Marine Urostylid Ciliates: Metaurostylopsis struederkypkeae n. sp. and Thigmokeronopsis stoecki n. sp. (Ciliophora, Hypotrichida) from China

Abstract

The morphology and infraciliature of two new marine urostylid ciliates, Metaurostylopsis struederkypkeae n. sp. and Thigmokeronopsis stoecki n. sp., collected from the coastal waters off Qingdao (Tsingtao), China, have been investigated. Metaurostylopsis struederkypkeae n. sp. is characterized by the slender body shape, small size, rose-reddish cell colour, and having two kinds of pigment-like granules. The larger pigment-like granules are yellow–green or grass-green in colour, oval in shape, and flattened, whereas the smaller ones are wine-reddish. Infraciliature and nuclear apparatus are similar to the well-known Metaurostylopsis marina. Thigmokeronopsis stoecki n. sp. is characterized by its large size with dark brown cell colour and grass-green cortical granules, which are large, blood-cell shaped, and sparsely distributed. The thigmotactic ciliature is conspicuous: 11–14 rows of densely arranged cirri occupy the most postoral area. Keys are provided for all the known species in both genera.