Protozoan ciliate epibionts on the freshwater apple snail Pomacea figulina (Spix, 1827) (Gastropoda, Ampullariidae) in an urban stream of south‐east Brazil

Abstract

The objective of this study was to record and analyze the prevalence of ciliated protozoa associated with prosobranchian snails of the species Pomacea figulina collected from an urban stream in south‐eastern Brazil. Four collections were carried out between December, 2005, and March, 2006, from which 23 snails and 10 ‘empty’ shells were obtained. The shells and opercula were scraped over Petri dishes and the ciliates were observed using bright field and phase contrast microscopy. Seven species of ciliates were recorded on the snails of P. figulina. Of the 23 snails analyzed, 82.60% (n = 19) were infested with at least one species of ciliate. No ciliates were found on the ‘empty’ shells and opercula. The results are discussed in terms of ecological aspects involved in this association.

Keywords:

• Ciliophora
• mollusc
• peritrichs
• prosobranchian snails
• suctorian

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank to Dra Silvana Aparecida Rogel Carvalho Thiengo to the Malacology Department of the Oswaldo Cruz Institute for the identification of the apple snails and to Dr Allan Warren to the Department of Zoology of the Natural History Museum for sending some papers about peritrichs. We also acknowledge the comments and suggestions made by the editor and the anonymous reviewers. This study was financially supported by FAPEMIG.