Uronemita filificum Kahl, 1931

Xuming Pan, 2016, Seven scuticociliates (Protozoa, Ciliophora) from Alabama, USA, with descriptions of two parasitic species isolated from a freshwater mussel Potamilus purpuratus, European Journal of Taxonomy 249, pp. 1-19 : 7

Uronemita filificum Kahl, 1931

Fig. 4A–E ; Table 1

Description

Description based on Alabama population: body 30–45 × 15–20 μm in vivo, inverted pear-shaped with large, conspicuous apical plate ( Fig 4A–B ). Dorsal side conspicuously convex. Length of buccal field 60% of body. Extrusomes appromately 2 µm long, rod-shaped, closely beneath pellicle. Cytoplasm colourless to grayish, containing several (ca 3 μm across) food vacuoles and dumbbell-shaped crystals (ca 1–2 µm long) often concentrated in anterior end of body ( Fig. 4C ). Single macronucleus larg ( Fig. 4E ). Locomotion by swimming aimlessly, sometimes rotates while attached to substratum by caudal cilium. Eighteen or 19 somatic kineties, anterior third of each composed of dikinetids ( Fig. 4E ). M1 single-rowed with five or six kinetosomes ( Fig. 4D ); M2 three-rowed; M3 smaller and close to M2 ( Fig. 4D ). PM on right of shallow buccal cavity, with zigzag row of basal bodies, extending anteriorly to the middle of M2. Scutica consisting of three or four basal body pairs ( Fig. 4D ).

Figures

Fig. 4. A – E. Uronemita filificum Kahl, 1931. F – I. Uronema marinum Dujardin, 1841. J – N. Pleuronema setigerum Calkins, 1902. A – C, F – H, J – L. In vivo. D – E, M – N. After silver impregnation. A, F, J. Ventral views of typical individuals. B – C, G – H, K – L. Different individuals, showing variation in body shape, arrow in (B) shows the conspicuous apical plate, arrows in (C, H) mark contractile vacuoles. D, I, M – N. Detailed structures of buccal area, arrow in (M) indicates the ring-like posterior end of M 2 a, arrowheads in (M) mark preoral kineties. E. Ventral view, arrowheads show somatic kineties. Abbreviations: M 1, 2, 3 = membranelle 1, 2 and 3; M 2 a = the anterior part of membranelle 2; M 2 b = the posterior part of membranelle 2; Ma = macronucleus; PM = paroral membrane. Scale bars: A – B = 20 μm; F, H, N = 10 μm; G = 5 μm, J – L = 30 μm.