Uronema gallicum

Omar, Atef & Jung, Ji Hye Choi and Jae-Ho, 2023, New record of ten ciliate species (Protozoa, Ciliophora) from South Korea, Journal of Species Research 12 (1), pp. 95-108 : 104

9. Uronema gallicum Pérez-Uz and Song, 1995 ( Fig. 9 )

Material examined. Marine water (salinity 30.0‰) collected from Goha island , Dal-dong, Mokpo-si, Jeollanam-do, Korea (34°46 ʹ 15 ʺ N, 126°21 ʹ 32 ʺ E) on December 2, 2019 .

Diagnosis. Size 24 - 26 × 8 - 10 μm after protargol impregnation (n = 7); body ovate with broadly rounded posterior end, anterior end narrower than posterior; macronucleus ellipsoidal to globular, in mid-body, about 5 μm in diameter; 14 - 15 somatic ciliary rows, each consists of dikinetids anteriorly and monokinetids posteriorly, somatic kinety 1 as long as other kineties, almost reaches posterior body end; caudal cilium about 10 μm long after protargol impregnation; buccal apparatus extend to about 2/3 of cell length, consists of three membranelles, membranelle 1 single-rowed, membranelle 2 with two rows.

Distribution. France, South Korea.

Remarks. The Korean population of Uronema gallicum agrees with the type population described from France in most features ( Pérez-Uz and Song, 1995). Uronema gallicum can be easily distinguished from other congeners by the position of the oral apparatus, i.e., in the middle third of body vs. anterior to mid-body. Somatic kinety 1 of U. gallicum is similar to that of U. marinum in that it extends to posterior body end and both differ from U. nigricans , which has kinety 1 shortened posteriorly ( Pérez-Uz and Song, 1995; Song et al., 2009; Liu et al., 2017).

Voucher slides. One slide with protargol-impregnated specimens was deposited at the National Institute of Biological Resources, Korea (NIBRPR0000110843).

Figures

Fig. 9. Uronema gallicum after protargol impregnation. Ventral (A) and dorsal (B) view showing the body shape, membranelle 1 consists of a single row of basal bodies, oral apparatus extends to about 2/3 of body length. M1-3, oral membranelles; MA, macronucleus; PM, paroral membrane. Scale bars 10μm.