Ploeotia vitrea Dujardin, 1841

Lee, Won Je & Patterson, David J., 2000, Heterotrophic flagellates (Protista) from marine sediments of Botany Bay, Australia, Journal of Natural History 34, pp. 483-562 : 530

Ploeotia vitrea Dujardin, 1841

(fi gures 17f, 19c -e)

Description. Cell oval, about 16-22 Mm long and 10-14 Mm wide, not fl attened. This species has 10 longitudinal double raised ridges; four dorsally, two laterally, four ventrally. The anterior part of the cell is slightly obtuse and the posterior part of the cell is pointed. The anterior fl agellum is as long as the cell, and the posterior fl agellum is thick and twice as long as the cell. The ingestion organelle is well developed with a tiny protrusion at the top of the right-hand rod and tapers posteriorly. The nucleus is located in the right-hand side of the cell and the reservoir is in the left side. Rarely observed.

Remarks. This species has been found in marine sites in subtropical and tropical Australia, Brazil, Fiji, Hawaii and USA, and the reported length range is from 16 to 25 Mm ( Farmer and Triemer, 1988; Larsen and Patterson, 1990; Patterson and Simpson, 1996). Ultrastructural studies of Ploeotia vitrea were conducted by Farmer and Triemer (1988), and Larsen and Patterson (1990). Our observations are in agreement with Larsen and Patterson (1990). Ploeotia vitrea can be easily distinguished from other species in the genus by its 10 prominent ridges.