Nivaliella plana Foissner, 1980

Kim, Ji-Yeong & Jung, Jae-Ho, 2016, Taxonomic survey on ciliate diversity in eastern area of Kangwon-province, Korea: Brief records of fifteen species unrecorded from Korea, Journal of Species Research 5 (3), pp. 333-342 : 336

2. Nivaliella plana Foissner, 1980 ( Fig. 1B )

Diagnosis: Body size 12 × 6 μm in protargol preparations; body reniform to oblong. Macronuclear nodule spherical to elliptical, positioned at posterior half­body. Contractile vacuole at posterior body end. Cytoplasm colorless. Somatic kineties composed of dikinetid; ciliatures strongly reduced. Feeding tube distinct, positioned at anterior body end. Paroral membrane semicircular.

Remark: It was the smallest species (ca. 12 μm in length) of this report and co­occurred with G. acuta belonging to the same family. Based on the co­occurrence of the two species from a single moss sample only, it is assum­ ed that their ecological niche is not broad and Foissner (1993) mentioned that G. acuta prefers acidic substrates. Voucher slides: Two slides including protargol­impregnated specimens have been deposited in the National Institute of Biological Resources in Korea (NIBRPR0000 107138, NIBRPR0000107139).

Figures

Fig. 1. Protargol­stained specimens. A. Grossglockneria acuta, right side view, 35 μm in length; B. Nivaliella plana, right side view, 12 μm in length; C. Blepharisma hyalinum, right side view, 65 μm in length; D. Cultellothrix coemeterii, left side view, 55 μm in length; E. Drepanomonas hymenofera hymenofera, right side view, 30 μm in length; F. Leptopharynx costatus costatus, right side view, 25 μm in length; G. Obertrumia gracilis, ventral view, 65μm in length; H. Furgasonia rubens, ventral view, 45μm in length.