Preptychostomum donendaensis, Nana & Tchakonte & Mama & Onana & Fokam & Ngassam & Masseret & Nola & Sime-Ngando, 2022

Nana, Paul Alain, Tchakonte, Simeon, Mama, Anselme Crepin, Onana, Fils Mamert, Fokam, Zephyrin, Ngassam, Pierre, Masseret, Estelle, Nola, Moïse & Sime-Ngando, Telesphore, 2022, Four new species of Hysterocinetida (Protozoa: Ciliophora) from the digestive tract of earthworms collected to the lower Nyong estuary (South Coast, Cameroon), Zootaxa 5194 (2), pp. 233-244 : 236-237

Preptychostomum donendaensis n. sp.

This ciliate cohabits with Preptychostomum magnum Ngassam et al. (1993) , P. microstomum Ngassam et al. (1993) and P. katashimae Ngassam et al. (1993) in the midgut of the earthworms A. emini and A. nilotica .

General morphology and morphometry: The cell is ovoid, with a slightly narrowed anterior part ( Figures 2A–B ). It measures 93–105 μm in length and 65–71 μm in its greatest width. The nuclear apparatus consists of a club-shaped macronucleus measuring 22–27 μm in diameter. In a depression of this macronucleus, is housed a rounded micronucleus of 2.5 μm in diameter on average. The very small buccal apparatus is isolated in a glabrous area of the posterior part of the ciliate. The peristome measures on average 10 μm long and the infundibulum 5 μm. The flattened sucker is ovoid and measures 27–35 μm wide. This sucker is bordered posteriorly by an incomplete bead forming two thin symmetrical lips.

Infraciliature: The ciliature topography consists of 75–80 kineties unevenly distributed on both sides of the ciliate: 20–23 cover the lower face and 42–45, the upper face ( Figures 2C–D ).

Diagnosis: Commensal of the digestive tract of A. emini and A. nilotica . Ovoid cell, with a slightly narrowed anterior part, 93–105 71–76 µm. 20–23 kineties cover the lower face and 42–45 the upper face. Sucker diameter: 27–35 µm. Frequency of the ciliate: 94 %. Mean abundance: 25 cells per infested worm.

Type host: Midgut, in earthworms A. emini and A. nilotica .

Type locality: Donenda (0320′00.7″N–01002′09.1″E), South region, Cameroon .

Etymology: The species is named “donendaensis” in reference to the locality of harvest of the host.

Type material: Slides of the holotype (MNHN-IR-2017-0013) are deposited to the protist collection of the National Museum of Natural History , Paris, France .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Preptychostomum donendaensis n. sp. A. General morphology after double staining by DAPI (blue) and immunofluorescence microscopy (IF) using FITC-conjugated anti-tubulin antibody (green); B. General morphology (Drawings after silver staining); C. Ciliature of the upper face; D. Ciliature of the lower face; BA. Buccal Apparatus; Ma. Macronucleus; Mi. micronucleus; Su. Sucker. Scale bar: 20 μm.