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New records of Praethecacineta halacari (Schulz) (Suctorea: Ciliophora) from Taiwan, Tanzania and Canada

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 August 2009

Igor Dovgal,
Tapas Chatterjee,
D.V. Subba Rao,
Benny K.K. Chan and
Marleen de Troch
Igor Dovgal*
Affiliation:
Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology, B. Khmelnitsky str, 15, 01601, Kiev, Ukraine
Tapas Chatterjee
Affiliation:
Indian School of Learning, ISM Annexe, PO—ISM, Dhanbad 826004, Jharkhand, India
D.V. Subba Rao
Affiliation:
Marine Environmental Sciences Division, Bedford Institute of Oceanography, PO Box 1006, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia B2Y 4A2, Canada
Benny K.K. Chan
Affiliation:
Research Centre for Biodiversity, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
Marleen de Troch
Affiliation:
Marine Biology Section, Department of Zoology, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281—S8, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: I. Dovgal, Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology, B. Khmelnitsky str, 15, 01601, Kiev, Ukraine email: dovgal@izan.kiev.ua

Abstract

The present study reports on a range extension of the suctorian species Praethecacineta halacari to the region of He-Ping-Dao, north-east of Taiwan (West Pacific Ocean), Matemwe, the east coast of Unguja, Zanzibar, Tanzania (West Indian Ocean) and Nova Scotia, Canada (West Atlantic Ocean). Praethecacineta halacari is reported here for the first time from Taiwan, Tanzania and Canada. Earlier records include the Caspian Sea, Western Australia, Brazil, India, and various coastal sites in Europe.

Keywords

epibiontssuctoriansPraethecacineta halacarirange extensionTaiwanZanzibarCanada

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Marine Biodiversity Records , Volume 2 , January 2009, e136
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2009

INTRODUCTION

Several species of suctorian ciliates are common epibionts of benthic marine and interstitial invertebrates (Precht, Reference Precht1935; Jankowski, Reference Jankowski1981, Reference Jankowski and Alimov2007; Dovgal, Reference Dovgal1996, Reference Dovgal2002; Dovgal et al., Reference Dovgal, Chatterjee and Ingole2008a, Reference Dovgal, Chatterjee, Ingole and Nanajkarb; Ingole et al., Reference Ingole, Singh, Sautya, Dovgal and Chatterjee2009). A number of suctorian ciliates have been observed as epibionts on various halacarid mites (Dovgal et al., Reference Dovgal, Chatterjee and Ingole2008a). In this paper, we report Praethecacineta halacari (Schulz, Reference Schulz1933) as an epibiont on halacarid mites from Taiwan, Tanzania and Canada. This ciliate species is reported here for the first time from these coastal waters.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Halacarid mites were collected from He-Ping-Dao, north-east of Taiwan (West Pacific Ocean), Matemwe, the east coast of Unguja, Zanzibar, Tanzania (West Indian Ocean) and Nova Scotia, Canada (West Atlantic Ocean) (Figure 1). Standardized measurements were made using the computer program ScopePhoto 2.0 for processing digital images. All specimens are deposited in the collections of the Department of Fauna and Systematics of invertebrate animals of Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology, National Academy of Sciences, Ukraine.

Fig. 1.

Map showing the collection sites of Praethecacineta halacari reported in the present study.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

SYSTEMATICS
Class SUCTOREA Claparède & Lachmann, 1859
Subclass EXOGENIA Collin, 1912
Order METACINETIDA Jankowski, 1978
Family PRAETHECACINETIDAE Dovgal, Reference Dovgal1996
Praethecacineta halacari (Schulz, Reference Schulz1933) (Figures 2–4)
Fig. 2.

Praethecacineta halacari attached to Copidognathus sp. from Taiwan. Scale bar 20 µm.

Fig. 3.

Praethecacineta halacari attached to Copidognathus ungujaensis Chatterjee, De Troch & Chang from Zanzibar, Tanzania. Scale bar 20 µm.

Fig. 4.

Praethecacineta halacari attached to halacarid mite from Canada. Scale bar 20 µm.

MATERIAL EXAMINED

Taiwan: 2 individuals were attached to Copidognathus sp. from He-Ping-Dao, north-east of Taiwan, 25°09′45″N 121°45′46″E, West Pacific Ocean, among intertidal coralline algae in exposed rocky shores, 6 March 2007, Col. B.K.K. Chan.

Tanzania: 2 individuals were attached to Copidognathus ungujaensis Chatterjee, De Troch & Chang from Matemwe, the east coast of Unguja, 05°52′S 39°21′E, Zanzibar, Tanzania (West Indian Ocean) among coral rubble of Fungia, 17 August 2004, Col. M. Raes and H. Gheerardyn.

Canada: 8 individuals were attached to one halacarid mite from Nova Scotia, 44°38′15″N 63°55′13″W, St Margaret's Bay, Canada (north-western Atlantic) in intertidal algae of the genus Enteromorpha on a rocky coast, September 2007, Col. DV Subba Rao.

DIAGNOSIS

Marine suctorians with stylotheca. Cell body weakly laterally flattened, entirely filling the lorica and attached to its posterior margin. Apical part of the body narrowed. Tentacles placed at upper cell surface. Macronucleus spherical posteriorly located; single contractile vacuole. Stylotheca smooth, without ribbing. Reproduction by semi-circumvaginative exogemmic budding with formation of laterally placed ciliate swarmers.

Body dimensions: body dimensions of P. halacari collected from Taiwan, Tanzania, Canada and India are given in Table 1.

Table 1.

Body dimensions of Praethecacineta halacar i, measurements in μm.

DISTRIBUTION

Bulgaria and Ukraine (Black Sea); Norway, Kiel Bay of North Sea, Caspian Sea, Western Australia, Atlantic coast of Brazil, west coast of India (Schulz, Reference Schulz1933; Detcheva, Reference Detcheva1992; Boshko & Dovgal, Reference Boshko and Dovgal2004; Gelmboldt & Dovgal, Reference Gelmboldt and Dovgal2005; Pepato & Tiago, Reference Pepato and Tiago2005; Dovgal et al., Reference Dovgal, Chatterjee and Ingole2008a). Taiwan, Tanzania and Canada (present report).

HOST SPECIFICITY

Praethecacineta halacari has been found attached to a variety of halacarid mites; viz. Copidognathus arabicus Chatterjee & Chang, C. brifacius Bartsch, C. brachystomus Viets, C. magnipalpus (Police), C. meridianus Bartsch, C. tupinamborum Pepato & Tiago, Copidognathus spp., Caspihalacarus hyrcanus Viets, and many unidentified species (Schulz, Reference Schulz1933; Detcheva, Reference Detcheva1992; Boshko & Dovgal, Reference Boshko and Dovgal2004; Gelmboldt & Dovgal, Reference Gelmboldt and Dovgal2005; Dovgal et al., Reference Dovgal, Chatterjee and Ingole2008a). Copidognathus ungujaensis Chatterjee, De Troch & Chang is also reported here for the first time as a host of P. halacari. Chatterjee et al. (Reference Chatterjee, De Troch and Chang2006) noted that many specimens of C. unguensis were infested by suctorians, which have been identified here as P. halacari.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thanks are due to Dr M. Raes and Dr H. Gheerardyn, Ghent University, Belgium for collecting samples in Zanzibar. Thanks are also due to anonymous referees for their critical reading of the manuscript and useful comments.

Footnotes

4

Present address: 12 The Horseshoe, Manor Park, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia B2Y 4E5, Canada

References

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Figure 0

Fig. 1.Map showing the collection sites of Praethecacineta halacari reported in the present study.

Figure 1

Fig. 2.Praethecacineta halacari attached to Copidognathus sp. from Taiwan. Scale bar 20 µm.

Figure 2

Fig. 3.Praethecacineta halacari attached to Copidognathus ungujaensis Chatterjee, De Troch & Chang from Zanzibar, Tanzania. Scale bar 20 µm.

Figure 3

Fig. 4.Praethecacineta halacari attached to halacarid mite from Canada. Scale bar 20 µm.

Figure 4

Table 1.Body dimensions of Praethecacineta halacari, measurements in μm.