Taxonomic Studies On Pleurostomatid Ciliateds (Protozoa: Ciliophora) From The Coastal Waters Off Shandong,China

Twenty-seven species of pleurostomatid ciliates (Protozoa, Ciliophora) were collected from kinds of coastal waters off Shandong, China during the last four years. The morphology and infraciliature of these species belonging to eight genera were investigated using living observation and silver impregnation methods. And the classification of Pleurostomatida was revised. The main achievements are summarized as follows:The diagnosis of the order, the families and the genera were revised according to their infraciliature and other morphological characters. Based on the data available, an updating key to the pleurostomatid genera is suggested.Three new genera were established: Apoamphileptus Lin & Song, 2004, Apolitonotus nov. gen. and Epiphyllum Lin, Song & Warren, 2005. Their main features are as follows:Apoamphileptus: the right somatic kineties forming a suture; somatic kineties of both sides shortened near ventral margin and forming a postoral suture.Apolitonotus: the extrusomes distributed along the oral slit or the whole ventral margin; the right somatic kineties anteriorly terminated along several endlong somatic kineties which near the dorsal margin.Epiphyllum: both the right and the left somatic kineties forming sutures; a peripheral kinety of the right side circling the whole body; no spine.Twenty-one new species were described: Amphileptus gui Lin et al., 2005, A. yuianus Lin et al., 2005, A. sikorai Lin et al., 2005, A. houi nov. spec, A. aeschti nov. spec, A. eigneri nov. spec, Apoamphileptus robertsi Lin & Song, 2004, Apolitonotus zhangi nov. spec, Litonotus bergeri nov. spec, L. blattereri nov. spec, L. petzi nov. spec, L. gongi nov. spec, L. guae nov. spec, L. shenae nov. spec, L. zhengae nov. spec, Loxophyllum jini Lin et al., 2005, L. qiuianum Lin et al., 2005, L. parahelus nov. spec, L. choii nov. spec, L. shini nov. spec, L. songi nov. spec.Two species whose infraciliature were revealed for the first time: Kentrophyllum verrucosum (Stokes, 1893) Petz et al., 1995, Epiphyllum soliforme (Faure-Fremiet, 1908) Lin et al., 2005.Four species that were redescribed based on Shandong populations: Acineria incurvata Dujardin, 1841, Litonotus paracygnus Song, 1994, L. yinae Song, 1991, Loxophyllum rostrutum Cohn, 1866.Ten new combinations: Apoamphileptus claparedii (Stein, 1867) Lin & Song, 2004 [Syn. Amphileptus claparedii Stein, 1867]; Apolitonotus antarcticus (Song & Wilbert, 2002) nov. comb. [Syn. Litonotus antarcticus Song & Wilbert, 2002]; Epiphyllum soliforme (Faure-Fremiet, 1908) Lin et al., 2005 [Syn. Loxophyllum soliforme Faure-Fremiet, 1908]; Kentrophyllum ozakii (Shigematsu, 1953) Lin et al., 2005[Syn. Loxophyllum ozakii Shigematsu, 1953]; Loxophyllum pictus (Gruber, 1884) nov. comb. [Syn.Litonotus pictus Gruber, 1884]; Litonotus levigatum (Sauerbrey, 1928) nov. comb. [Syn. Loxophyllumlevigatum Sauerbrey, 1928]; Litonotus undulatum (Sauerbrey, 1928) nov. comb. [Syn. Loxophyllumundulatum Sauerbrey, 1928]; Litonotus vermiforme (Sauerbrey, 1928) nov. comb. [Syn. Loxophyllumvermiforme Sauerbrey, 1928]; Litonotus multiplicatum (Kahl, 1931) nov. comb. [Syn. Loxophyllum multiplicatum Kahl, 1931]; Loxophyllum trichocystiferus (Foissner, 1984) nov. comb. [Syn. Litonotus trichocystiferus Foissner, 1984].Four species whose synonym were recognized: Kentrophyllum verrucosum (Stokes, 1893) Petz et al., 1995 [Syn. Loxophyllum multinucleatum Ozaki & Yagiu, 1943]; Litonotus yinae Song, 1991 [Syn. Litonotus emmerichi Petz et al., 1995]; Loxophyllum parahelus nov. spec. [Syn. Loxophyllum helus sensu Dragesco, 1960; Loxophyllum helus (variety a) sensu Dragesco, 1966]; Loxophyllum rostrutum Cohn, 1866 [Syn. Loxophyllum helus sensu Penard, 1922; Loxophyllum helus sensu Kahl, 1931; (?) Loxophyllum helus sensu Ozaki & Yagiu, 1943; Loxophyllum helus (variety b) sensu Dragesco, 1966].