Diplodinium cameli f. cameli Dogiel, 1926

Kubesy, A. A. & Dehority, Burk A., 2002, Forestomach ciliate Protozoa in Egyptian dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius), Zootaxa 51, pp. 1-12 : 7-8

Diplodinium cameli f. cameli Dogiel, 1926 . ( Fig. 1 )

Body is ellipsoidal and laterally compressed; prominent operculum; very small caudal lobe on ventral side. Measurements for the organisms in this material identified as D. cameli f. cameli were as follows (mean ± Standard error in m): L= 208.5 ± 3.5 (184­243); W= 140.4 ± 2.5 (119­164); L/W= 1.5 (1.4­1.7). Values are from the measurements of 25 cells. In the original description of this species by Dogiel (1926), he listed the following measurements (in m): L= 195 (160­210); W= 112 (92­130); L/W= 1.7. Morphology of the Diplodinium cameli f. cameli cells in the present study was similar to the description given by Dogiel; however, the cells were slightly longer and considerably wider, resulting in a lower L/W ratio.

Several of the cells identified as Diplodinium cameli in this study possessed lateral spines, which have not been previously reported for this species. Two different forms were observed, one with a single spine on the dorsal side near the posterior end and the other with spines on both sides. These forms are described below:

Figures

FIGURES 1­6. Diplodinium cameli f. cameli, f. monospinatum f. n. and f. bispinatum f. n. Bar = 50 m. 1. Diplodinium cameli f. cameli from the right side. 2. Diplodinium cameli f. monospinatum f. n. from the left side. Note the very small spine approximately 5/6th of the distance from the anterior end. 3. Diplodinium cameli f. monospinatum f. n. from the left side. 4­6. Diplodinium cameli f. bispinatum f. n. All from the right side, showing variation in size of the ventral spine and shape of the cell.