A further study on littoral ciliates (Protozoa, Ciliophora) near King George Island, Antarctica, with description of a new genus and seven new species

Abstract

Twenty‐eight littoral ciliates including one new genus and seven new species were collected from King George Island, Antarctica. Among them, 21 species are morphologically and taxonomically described in this paper: Bickella antarctica nov. gen., nov. spec., Chlamydonella apoprostomata nov. spec., Condylostoma spatiosum Ozaki and Yagiu in Yagiu, 1944, Diophrys scutum Dujardin, 1842, Diophrys aff. oligothrix Borror, 1965, Diophrys appendiculata (Ehrenberg, 1838), Euplotes balteatus (Dujardin, 1841), Euplotes dragescoi nov. spec., Euplotes petzi nov. spec., Euplotes rariseta Curds et al., 1974, Euplotes vannus (Mueller, 1786), Hartmannula angustipilosa Deroux and Dragesco, 1968, Hemigastrostyla szaboi Wilbert and Song, 2005, Holosticha antarctica nov. spec., Holosticha apodiademata nov. spec., Holosticha diademata (Rees, 1884), Litonotus sp., Metaurostylopsis marina (Kahl, 1932), Pleuronema coronatum Kent, 1881, Pseudocohnilembus persalinus Evans and Thompson, 1964, Urotricha antarctica nov. spec. The new genus, Bickella nov. gen., is a free‐swimming folliculinid having typical Folliculina morphology except for the absence of lorica.

Keywords:

• Antarctic ciliates
• taxonomy and morphology
• new genus and new species

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the DFG awarded to the senior author (NW). Thanks are also due to DAAD, for a visiting grant awarded to WS, which enabled the writing of the report to be completed.