Spironema multiciliatum Klebs, 1893

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 : 178

Spironema multiciliatum Klebs, 1893

Figs 1k, 2n–o

Description: Cells are lanceolate, relatively flattened and flexible. The cells have a spiral groove, long kinetics and a tail, which tapers posteriorly, and are 15–21 µm without the tail. The nucleus is located anteriorly or near the centre of the cell. When the cells are squashed, the cells are more flexible. Food materials are seen un- der the cell surface. Frequently observed at Woolooware Bay. Description based on records of 5 cells.

Remarks: This species has been reported at marine sites in Gippsland Basin, Australia and Canada ( Lee 2015, Lax et al. 2018). It resembles Stereonema geiseri Foissner et Foissner, 1993 in general appearance of cell. Stereonema geiseri was regarded as a junior synonym of Spironema multiciliatum (see Lee 2015 for more details).

Figures

Fig. 2. (a)–(b) Mastigamoeba psammobia, (a) general appearance of cell, note cytoplasms drawn from the posterior end, (b) general appearance of different cell and note pseudopodia. (c) Hexamita inflata, general appearance, note the nucleus. (d) Trepomonas agilis, general appearance of cell. (e) Chilomastix cuspidata, showing general appearance. (f) Stephanopogon sp., showing general appearance. (g) Saepicula pulchra, showing general appearance of cell. (h)–(j) Goniomonas amphinema. (h) Form I, (i) Form II, (j) Form III, note flagellar ar- rangement. (k) Roombia truncata, note attached cell to the substrate by the tip of the posterior flagellum, note extrusomes, surface striations and deep gullet. (l) Telonema subtilis, showing general appearance. (m) Harpagon descissus, general appearance of cell. (n)–(o) Spironema multiciliatum, (n) general appearance of cell, (o) note the kinetics. (p) Psammosa unguis, general appearance of cell. (q) Bicosoeca conica, general appearance of cell. (r) Apusomonas proboscidea, genera appearance of cell, note the V-shaped structure on dorsal face. All micrographs are DIC images except for (b), which is phase contrast images. Scale bar in (r) = 10 μm for all figures.