Anoplophrya simplex Nana, Fokam et al., 2018

Nana, Paul Alain, Fokam, Zéphyrin, Viguès, Bernard, Bricheux, Geneviève, Aghaindum, Gidéon Ajeagah, Ngassam, Pierre, Nola, Moïse & Sime-Ngando, Télesphore, 2018, Morphology and infraciliature of two new earthworm ciliates, Hoplitophrya polymorphus sp. nov. and Anoplophrya simplex sp. nov. (Ciliophora: Oligohymenophorea: Astomatia), Zootaxa 4392 (1), pp. 169-178 : 174-175

Anoplophrya simplex Nana, Fokam et al. sp. nov.

Description. Anoplophrya simplex sp. nov. lives in the foregut of Alma emini where it cohabits with Almophrya bivacuolata , A. mediovacuolata and A. laterovacuolata . Anoplophrya simplex sp. nov. was found in 93% of the worms that we have been studied, with each infested worm carrying on average 49 ciliates.

General morphology. The cell is roughly fusiform and dorsoventrally flattened. Non-dividing cells measure 105–180 µm in length and 65–125 µm in width ( Table 2). They comprise between 6 and 12 pulsatile vacuoles arranged symmetrically on each side of the elongated macronucleus. The macronucleus measures 70–145 µm in length and 10–15 µm width, and spreads from the anterior to the posterior pole of the cell. The lenticular micronucleus is 5 µm long on average and is localized around the medial part of the macronucleus ( Figures 4A and 4B).

Ciliature. The ciliature topography is dense. On average, there are 160 kineties homogeneously distributed on both sides of the cell ( Figure 5 ). At the cell apex the dorsal and ventral kineties fuse into a well-marked e suture line, which extends with a long secant system. A zone of disorganization of kineties is evident at the posterior pole. This zone is extended by a secant system. On the left, the previous connection region of kineties extends over the dorsal face and terminates in a discrete secant system.

Diagnosis. Commensal of the digestive tract of Alma emini . Fusiform, dorso-ventrally flattened: 105–180 µm X 65 –125 µm. One row of 6 to 12 pulsatile vacuoles. 80–86 kineties on each face of the cell. No cytoskeletal apparatus.

Type host: Foregut, earthworm ( Alma emini ).

Type locality: Ebebda (4°00’– 4°30’N; 11°30’– 11°50’ E) and Nkolbikogo (3°65–4°N; 11°30’–11°70’E), Center region, Cameroon.

Etymology: The species is named " simplex " in reference to the simple organization of the cell, devoid of differentiated cytoskeletal apparatus.

Type material: Slides of the holotype (MNHN-IR-2017-0005) are deposited to the protist collection of the National Museum of Natural History , Paris, France.

Deposited date: February 2017.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Anoplophrya simplex sp. nov. A. ciliature of the ventral face; B. ciliature of the dorsal face; Ss. Secant system. Scale bar: 20 µm.