Paracercomonas astra Howe & Cavalier-Smith, 2009

Lee, Won Je, 2020, First records of nine free-living heterotrophic flagellates from South Korea, Journal of Species Research 9 (4), pp. 448-454 : 452

7. Paracercomonas astra Howe & Cavalier-Smith, 2009

( Fig. 3a -f )

Material examined. Korea, Gyeongsangnam-do, Changwon, Jinjuncheon Stream (35°06′02″N, 128°26′04″E), 4 Apr 2012, collected by Won Je Lee.

Description. Cells are 5.7-7.3 (avg. 6.6) μm long and moderately metabolic. The anterior flagellum is about the cell length, tapered or acronematic, and the posterior flagellum is about the cell length, difficult to see and at- tached. Sporadic finger-like or filose cytoplasmic strand is tailed ( Fig. 3c-3f , arrowheads). Lamellar and/or branch- ing pseudopodia are seen at the posterior part of the cell and finger-like pseudopodia are seen most often at the anterior part. 1-2 contractile vacuoles lie in the middle of the cell ( Fig. 3a, 3d ). The cells move by slow gliding, but sometimes move quite rapidly.

Previously reported cell length. 6-13 μm ( Bass et al., 2009).

Habitat. Freshwater sediments, soils.

World distribution. UK, Sweden, Panama ( Bass et al., 2009), Korea.

Deposition. National Institute of Biological Resources, Korea (NIBRPR0000109228).

Identifiers. Won Je Lee.

Figures

Fig. 3. (a)-(f) Paracercomonas astra, showing general appearance, contractile vacuole (CV) and cytoplasmic strand (arrowheads). (a) cell 1, (b) cell 2, (c)-(f) cell 3. (g)-(i) Paracercomonas minima, (g) cell 1 showing CV, (h) cell 2, (i) cysts. (j)-(o) Paracercomonas producta, showing general appearance, contractile vacuole and cytoplasmic strand (arrowheads). (j) three different cells, (k) cell 1, (l) cell 2, (m) cell 3, (n), (o) cell 4. AF: anterior flagellum, PF: posterior flagellum.All micrographs are DIC images. Scale bar=5 μm for all figures.