Loricophrya bosporica Sergeeva & Dovgal, 2016

Chatterjee, Tapas, Sautya, Sabyasachi, Dovgal, Igor & Gaikwad, Santosh, 2022, Report of suctorian ciliates (Ciliophora, Suctorea) as epibionts on meiobenthic nematodes in an oxygen minimum zone of the Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean, Zootaxa 5138 (4), pp. 492-500 : 494-495

Loricophrya bosporica Sergeeva & Dovgal, 2016

( Fig. 2C, D )

Material examined: One individual found as epibiont on nematode host belong to the genus Desmodora , from 202 m depth of Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean.

Brief Description: Marine suctorian with elongated cell body completely covered with a lorica (stylotheca). Stylotheca, conical with gradual thickening of the walls towards the mouth. In some individuals there is a transverse wrinkle in the lower part of stylotheca. The lower part of stylotheca, which separated from the upper part by a wellvisible septum, slightly longitudinally striated, have thinner walls, finishes by widening (basal disc) that use for the attachment to the host’s body surface. The cell body is attached to the lorica in the mouth with the help of its edges folded inwards. A few clavate tentacles are located at the apical surface of the body. Macronucleus rounded.

Measurements from the present specimen (in µm, based on one individual): Lorica length 46; lorica width 19; body length 30; body width 18; stalk length 6; stalk diameter 3; macronucleus length 5; macronucleus width 5; length of the tentacles 3–5.

Remarks: In the present observation one ciliate specimen was found as epibiont attached to the middle part of the host Desmodora sp.

This species was reported earlier as epibiont on nematodes Desmoscolex minutus Claparède, 1863 from Istanbul Strait’s area in Bosporus region of the Black Sea at 252.4 m depth ( Sergeeva & Dovgal, 2016). This was also reported as epibiont on Metachromadoroides remanei (Gerlach, 1951) from methane seep of the Ria Formosa lagoon, Southern Portugal ( Ivanova et al. 2017). Baldrighi et al. (2020) reported the species as epibiont on nematodes of genera Desmodora and Desmoscolex Claparède, 1863 from Gulf of Naples (Mediterranean, Tyrrhenian Sea)—shallow vent area and French Guiana (South America, Atlantic Ocean)—Mangrove forest ( Baldrighi et al. 2020).

The species was found on nematode hosts only and was mentioned as extremophile ( Dovgal & Sergeeva 2016).

The present find is the first report of this species from the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean.

Figures

FIGURE 2. A. Paracineta livadiana (Mereschkowsky, 1881) attached on nematode host (arrow indicating ciliate), B. Magnified view of Paracineta livadiana, C. Loricophrya bosporica Sergeeva & Dovgal, 2016 attached on nematode host (arrow indicating ciliate), D. Magnified view of Loricophrya bosporica.