Podophrya bivacuolata Foissner, 2004

Jung, Atef Omar and Jae-Ho, 2021, New record of 21 ciliate species (Protozoa, Ciliophora) from South Korea, Journal of Species Research 10 (3), pp. 301-320 : 312-313

15. Podophrya bivacuolata Foissner, 2004 ( Fig. 14 )

Material examined. Soil sample collected from a footpath behind Gangneung-Wonju National University, Gangneung, Korea (37°46 ʹ 30.4 ʺ N, 128°51 ʹ 46.2 ʺ E) on 3 January 2020 .

Diagnosis. Swarmers about 70 × 30 μm in vivo (n = 4), 38-46 × 15-18 μm after protargol impregnation; body shape oblong with a longitudinal ciliated girdle with 4 or 5 widely spaced ciliary rows, unciliated areas studded with short, capitate tentacles; macronucleus long in mid-body. Adults globular 20-27 μm across and with long stalk and tentacles up to 50 μm long (n = 7); 2 contractile vacuoles; feeding on ciliates especially hypotrichs.

Distribution. Austria, Korea.

Remarks. The Korean population of Podophrya bivacuolata agrees with the original description of Foissner (2004). It is most similar to Podophrya magna (Maupas, 1881) Curds, 1986 in having two contractile vacuoles but the swarmers of the latter have only cilia while those of P. bivacuolata have both cilia and tentacles ( Curds, 1986; Foissner, 2004). The two contractile vacuoles found also in the loricated suctorian ciliate Paracineta lauterborni Sondheim, 1929 . However, the genera Podophrya and Paracineta differ in the absence vs. presence of semi-lorica that covers a part of the body and the freshwater or terrestrial vs. marine habitat ( Foissner, 1995).

Voucher slides. Two slides with protargol-impregnated specimens were deposited at the Nakdonggang National Institute of Biological Resources (NNIBRPR20129, NNIBRPR20130).

Figures

Fig. 14. Photomicrographs of Podophrya bivacuolata from life (A-D), after protargol impregnation(E), and scanning electron microscope(F, G). A, B. Lateral views of swarmers showing the clavate tentacles and the ciliary stripes. C, D. Adult cells with long tentacles and stalk. E. Swarmer showing the cell shape and the ciliary pattern. F, G. Swarmers showing the cell shape and the precursor of the stalk. CV, contrac- tile vacuole; MA, macronucleus; P, stalk precursor; S, stalk; T, tentacles. Scale bars=30 μm (A-D), 20 μm(E, F), and 10μm (G).