Protaspa flexibilis, Lee, 2019

Lee, Won Je, 2019, Small Free-Living Heterotrophic Flagellates from Marine Intertidal Sediments of the Sydney Region, Australia, Acta Protozoologica 58 (4), pp. 167-189 : 181

Protaspa flexibilis sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:221FE9A9-87C1-4721-9BB9-BC5CE07D9D60

Figs 3e , 4j–k

Etymology: The name refers to ‘flexible’.

Diagnosis: Protaspa , cell 10–14 µm long, somewhat flexible and dorso-ventrally flattened with an in- distinctive ventral groove. Anterior flagellum directed to left and posterior flagellum to right trails posteriorly. Nucleus situated subapically with nuclear caps.

Description: Cells are 10–14 µm long, somewhat flexible and dorso-ventrally flattened with an indistinc- tive ventral groove. The cells vary in shape and are more flexible at the posterior part of the cell. Cell surface is warty. Two non-acronematic flagella of similar length emerge subapically and are not thickened. The anterior flagellum is directed to the left direction and the posterior flagellum to the right trails posteriorly. The nucleus is situated subapically with nuclear caps. Reserve materials are seen around the nucleus. Pseudopodia were not seen. The cells move by gliding. The cells were observed twice abundantly, but not common. Description based on records of 35 cells.

Remarks: This organism is related to Protaspa because of anteriorly located nucleus with caps. It is distinguished from other species of Protaspa by having a flexible body and because two flagella of this species point in different directions – like in Neometanema species (see Lee and Simpson 2014). This species can be characterised by its flexibility and the orientation of the flagella, which make it different from the other Protaspa species listed in Hoppenrath and Leander (2006). It is similar to P. gemmifera in having reserve materials and in cell length, but is distinguished by its flexible body and because P. gemmifera moves quickly.

Figures

Fig. 3. Apusomonadida, Cercomonadida, Protaspidae, Thaumatomonadidae and Protista incertae sedis. (a) Apusomonas proboscidea, (b) Cercomonas parva, (c) Cercomonas sp.1, (d) Cercomonas sp.2, (e) Protaspa flexibilis sp. nov., (f) Thaumatomastix sp., (g) Eoramonas jungensis sp. nov., (h) Gweamonas unicus, (i) Phyllomitus undulans (from Lee 2002a), (j) Protist 1, (k) Protist 2. Scale bar = 10 μm for all figures.

Fig. 4. (a)–(b) Rhynchobodo longiciliatus, (a) general appearance of cell, (b) flagellar insertion into pocket. (c)–(d) Cercomonas sp.1, general appearance, note slender anterior part and hyaline cell body. (e)–(f) Cercomonas parva, (e) genera appearance showing a posterior fla- gellum attached to the body, (f) flexible body. (g)–(h) Cercomonas sp.2, general appearance, note both short flagella and cytoplasms drawn from the posterior part. (i) Cyranomonas australis, showing general appearance of different cells, note flagellar insertion. (j)–(k) Protaspa flexibilis sp. nov., general appearance of different cells, (j) nuclear caps around nucleus. All micrographs are DIC images. Scale bar in (k) = 10 μm for all figures with the exception of (b). Scale bar in (b) = 5 μm.