Australocirrus aspoecki ( Foissner, 2004 ) Kumar, 2015

Kim, Ji Hye & Jung, Ji Hye Moon and Jae-Ho, 2018, New records of 24 ciliate species (Protozoa, Ciliophora) collected in South Korea, Journal of Species Research 7 (4), pp. 291-314 : 294

4. Australocirrus aspoecki ( Foissner, 2004) Kumar and Foissner, 2015 ( Fig. 4 )

Material examined. Terrestrial moss collected from Gangneung-Wonju National University , Jibyeon-dong , Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do, Korea (37°46 ʹ 3.23 ʺ N, 128° 52 ʹ 1.66 ʺ E) on September 5, 2017 .

Diagnosis. Body size 204-270 × 65-100 μm in vivo; about 140 × 63 μm after protargol impregnation; body ellipsoidal; contractile vacuole ahead of mid-body at left cell margin with 2 collecting canals; spherical cytoplasmic granules, cortical granules brilliant red, 0.5-0.7 μm in diameter; 2 ellipsoidal macronuclei; 4-6 spherical micronuclei; undulating membranes Australocirrus -like pattern; 60-66 adoral membranelles; 3 frontal cirri; 1 buccal cirrus; 4 frontoventral cirri; 3 postoral cirri; 2 pretransverse cirri; 5 obliquely arranged transverse cirri; 37-43 left marginal cirri; 33-39 right marginal cirri; 3 caudal cirri; 6 or 7 dorsal kineties.

Distribution. Austria, Korea.

Remarks. The Korean population of A. aspoecki differs from the Austrian population in the average number of postoral cirri (3 vs. 4) and the number of dorsal kineties (6 or 7 vs. 9-16) ( Foissner, 2004). Considering the discrepancy on the number of dorsal kineties, further study is necessary to clarify its species identification. Australocirrus aspoecki differs from A. shii and A. australis mainly by the color of the cortical granules (reddish vs. yellowish vs. yellowish) ( Berger, 1999; Foissner, 2004; Kumar and Foissner, 2015).

Voucher slides. Two slides of protargol-impregnated specimens were deposited at National Institute of Biological Resources, Korea (NIBRPR0000109415, NIBRPR 0000109416).

Genus Sterkiella Foissner, Blatterer, Berger and Kohmann, 1991

Figures

Fig. 4. Australocirrus aspoecki in vivo (A, B) and after protargol impregnation (C). A. Living cell to show body shape. B. Reddish cortical granules and dorsal brush. C. Ventral view. Scale bars=100μm (A); 50μm (C); 10μm (B).