Thurstonia nilotica, Nana & Tchakonte & Mama & Onana & Fokam & Ngassam & Masseret & Nola & Sime-Ngando, 2022

Nana, Paul Alain, Tchakonte, Simeon, Mama, Anselme Crepin, Onana, Fils Mamert, Fokam, Zephyrin, Ngassam, Pierre, Masseret, Estelle, Nola, Moïse & Sime-Ngando, Telesphore, 2022, Four new species of Hysterocinetida (Protozoa: Ciliophora) from the digestive tract of earthworms collected to the lower Nyong estuary (South Coast, Cameroon), Zootaxa 5194 (2), pp. 233-244 : 239

Thurstonia nilotica n. sp.

This ciliate lives in the mid and hindgut of the A. nilotica harvested in Donenda and Dikobe. He cohabits with Thurstonia almae Ngassam & Grain, 1998 and T. kaczanowskii of Puytorac, 1968b.

General morphology and morphometry: The cell is pear-shaped and reaches 110 μm long and 85 μm wide. The anterior part is narrowed (20 to 25 μm wide) and the posterior part swollen (55 to 65 μm) ( Figures 5A–B ). The nuclear apparatus consists of a macronucleus located perpendicularly to the anteroposterior axis of the cell. This macronucleus is oval and is 25 to 28 μm long and 10 to 15 μm wide. It is dorsally attached to a spherical micronucleus 2.5 μm in average diameter. The buccal apparatus is reduced, with a peristomal part long 10 to 15 μm and wide 2 to 4 μm. The infundibular part is very short and measures on average 3 μm long. The sucker, devoid of skeletal fibers, has the shape of an inverted lunar crescent.

Ciliature: The body of the ciliate is covered with eyelashes whose kinetosomes form long rows parallel to each other. There are 46 to 50 kineties, unequally distributed on both sides of the ciliate. On the upper side, there are 20 to 22 sparse kineties and on the lower face 25 to 31 tighter ( Figures 5C–D ).

Diagnosis: Commensal of the digestive tract of A. nilotica . pear-shaped cell, narrowed anterior part and bulging posterior part, 110–114 µm 85–92 µm. 46 to 50 kineties, unequally distributed on both sides of the ciliate. Sucker: inverted lunar crescent shape. Frequency of the ciliate: 11 %. Mean abundance: 10 cells per infested worm.

Type host: Foregut and midgut, in earthworms A. nilotica .

Type locality: Donenda (0320′00.7″N–01002′09.1″E) and Dikobe (0319′15.5″N–01000′47.6″E), South region, Cameroon .

Etymology: The species is named “ nilotica ” in reference to the specificity of the host.

Type material: Slides of the holotype (MNHN-IR-2017-0010) are deposited to the protist collection of the National Museum of Natural History , Paris, France .

Figures

FIGURE 5. Thurstonia nilotica n. sp. A. General morphology after double staining by DAPI (blue) and immunofluorescence microscopy (IF) using FITC-conjugated anti-tubulin antibody (green); B. General morphology (Drawings after silver staining); C. Ciliature of the upper face; D. Ciliature of the lower face; BA. Buccal Apparatus; Ma. Macronucleus; Mi. micronucleus; Su. Sucker. Scale bar: 20 μm.