CC BY
32
Protistology ■ 63
zerland
6 - Jardin Botanique de Neuchátel, Chemin du Per-thuis-du-Sault 58, CH-2000Neuchátel, Switzerland [email protected]
Hyalospheniids are among the most common and conspicuous testate amoebae in high-latitude peatlands and forest humus. These testate amoebae were widely studied as bioindicators, and are increasingly used as models in microbial biogeography. However, data on their diversity and ecology are still very unevenly distributed geographically: notably, data are lacking for low latitude peatlands. We describe here a new species, Nebela jiuhuensis, from peatlands near the Middle Yangtze River reach of south central China with characteristic morphology. The test (shell) has hollow horn-like lateral extensions also found in N. saccifera, N. equicalceus (=N. hippocrepis) and N. ansata, three large species restricted mostly to Sphagnum-peatlands of Eastern North America. Mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase (COI) data confirm that N. jiuhuensis is closely related to the morphologically very similar North American species N. saccifera and more distantly to N. ansata within the N. penardiana group. These species are all found in wet mosses growing in poor fens. Earlier re-ports ofmorphologically similar specimens found in South Korea peatlands suggest that N. jiuhuensis may be distributed in comparable peatlands in Eastern Asia (China and Korea). The discovery of such a conspicuous new species in Chinese peatlands suggests that many new testate amoebae species are yet to be discovered, including potential regional endemics. Furthermore, human activities (e.g. drainage, agriculture, pollution) have reduced the known habitat of N. jiuhuensis, which can thus be considered as locally endangered. We therefore suggest that this very conspicuous microorganism with a probably limited geographical distribution and specific habitat requirement should be considered as a flagship species for microbial biogeo-graphy as well as local environmental conservation and management. Key words: Arcellinid testate amoebae; biodiversity conservation; biogeography; DNA barcoding; mtCOI.
EPIBIONTIC RELATIONSHIP IN AN ARTIFICIAL POND OF CHIAPAS (MEXICO): PROCAMBARUS (AUSTROCAMBARUS) SP. (CRUSTACEA: DECAPODA) AND EPISTYLIS HENTSCHELI (CILIOPHORA: PERITRI-CHIA)
Ramírez-Ballesteros M.1, Fernandez-Leborans G.2, Mayén-Estrada R.3
1 - Laboratorio de Protozoología, Departamento de Biología Comparada, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
2 - Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, España
3 - Laboratorio de Protozoología, Departamento de Biología Comparada, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México [email protected]
Several samples collected during years 2014 and 2015 contained epibenthonic fauna with the crayfish Procambarus (Austrocambarus) sp. Samplings were performed on the freshwater artificial pond Yaleon, located in Montebello (Chiapas, SE Mexico), using a 5 mm opening hand net. The environment was strongly polluted with organic matter (assimilated to a polysaprobic zone). The crayfish Procambarus (Austrocambarus) sp. harbored colonies of a peri-trich ciliate identified as Epistylis hentscheli Kahl, 1935. This ciliate formed ramified colonies with a moderate number of zooids (up to 30). Stalks of the colony were dichotomously branched, and they presented peripherical fibres arranged longitudinally. The zooid was elongated; the form ofbody was similar to a bell (170-200 ^m in lenght), with a C-shaped transversal macronucleus, and a spherical micronucleus near to the macronucleus. The peristomal lip was very thin. The buccal infraciliature had the general pattern of peritrichids and was composed by a haplokinety and a polykinety drawing a spiral with 1.5 rounds inside the buccal infundibulum. These epibionts were located exclusively on the pereiopods. The goal of this contribution is to provide data about cell/colony structure of E. hentscheli and also its distribution on the crayfish. This is the first record ofthis epibiont peritrich ciliate on crustacea, being previously found on algae and fish. Acknowledgements: to Posgrado en Ciencias Biolygicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and CONACyT, for the support necessary for carry out this research. Additionally, we are indebted to Dr. Villalobos-Hiriart (Instituto de Biología, UNAM) for the crustacean identification and to Biol. Reyes-Santos (Facultad de Ciencias, UNAM) for their help with impregnation techniques. We also appreciate the technical support ofthe Department of Zoology (Universidad Complutense, UCM, España).
ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF PARAMECIUM BURSARIA / CHLORELLA SYMBIOTIC SYSTEM: WHAT CAN ONE SAY ABOUT THE HOST EVOLUTION STUDYING EVOLUTION OF SYMBIONT?
Rautian M., Beliavskaia A., Kiselev A. Saint Petersburg State University, Russia
