CILIATE PROTOZOA OF THE GULF OF MEXICO
ARTHUR
C. BORROR
Department of Zoology, University of New Hampshire
Durham, New Hampshire
ABSTRACT
Twelve orders, 57 families, 116 genera, and 219 species of the class
Ciliata (Protozoa) are recorded from the Gulf of Mexico and its brackish
environs, based on a review of 22 previous publications, observations of
the author, and previously unpublished data of several other investigators;
168 of these are identified to species. Recent changes in nomenclature and
classification are employed and discussed.
The ciliate fauna of the Gulf of Mexico has a low degree of endemism,
and many of the common species are cosmopolitan, suggesting that distribution of these forms is limited by micro-environmental factors rather
than by geographical barriers. A plea is made for the use of the ChattonLwoff silver impregnation technique as an aid in the identification of
marine ciliates.
INTRODUCTION
The ciliate Protozoa are among the most abundant of marine
animals. In the intertidal zone of a beach on the Gulf of Mexico,
there are probably more ciliates than all the rest of the animals
combined (Borror, manuscript in preparation). A recent estimate
(Corliss, 1961) places the number of known species of ciliates near
6,000. The present paper will include a historical review of studies
of ciliates in the Gulf of Mexico, a list of species known to occur
there, and a discussion of taxonomic problems associated with certain
of the species listed.
HISTORICAL
REVIEW
The earliest studies of marine ciliates in the Gulf of Mexico were
those of Smith (1898, 1900, 1904), who reported 6 species from
brackish water of Lakes Ponchartrain and Borgne, Louisiana and
36 species from St. John's Bayou, Cameron, Louisiana.
The next published records of ciliates from the Gulf appeared
more than 25 years later, in a series of papers describing research
at the Carnegie Institution Laboratory at the Dry Tortugas: Bullington, 1931, ]935, 1939, 1940 (17 species); Pearse, 1932 (9 species);
Powers, 1933, 1935 (9 species); and Wichterman, 1939, 1940,
1942 (4 species). During the same period, Noland (1937) published
a series of observations on ] 8 species of ciliates seen during a short
stay at the Bass Biological Laboratory, Englewood, Sarasota County,
Florida, which included descriptions of two new genera, Paraspathidium and Euplotidium.
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Andrews (1944, 1946) recorded Metafolliculina andrewsi and
amphora, sessile loricate forms of the family Folliculinidae, from the Texas coast. Anigstein (1949), then a high
school student, made some observations on a hypotrich ciliate (probably Holosticha rubra) collected near Galveston, Texas.
Some information on pelagic ciliates has been provided by Davis
(1950) and King (1950), who studied plankton from various localities off the Gulf coast of Florida. Davis reported ten genera of
Tintinnids; King reported Plagiocampa marina, Euplotes sp., and
unidentified Tintinnids.
A review by Sprague (1954, see also 1951) listed 59 species of
ciliates from the Gulf. No reports have been published since that
time, to the writer's knowledge.
Parafolliculina
LIST OF CILIATES
A diligent search of the literature has led to the finding of 22 papers
which report species of .ciliates from the Gulf of Mexico and its
brackish environs. In order to make the list which follows as complete
as possible, inquiries were sent to protozoologists in states bordering
the Gulf, as well as Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, and Cuba.
Lists of unpublished records were sent to the author by E. C.
Bovee, N. R. Cooley, and C. J. Flora, who have kindly permitted
publication of their records in this paper. The material observed by
Bovee was collected primarily near Cedar Key and Sea Horse Key,
Levy County, Florida. He also recorded Uronema marinum, Dysteria
sp., Euplotes charon, and Paraeuplotes tortugensis from Pinellas Point,
Pinellas County, Florida. One of Bovee's records of Cyclidium rhabdotectum is from Little Bayou, St. Petersburg, Florida. Cooley's
records are from material collected in the vicinity of Gulf Breeze,
Santa Rosa County, Florida. Flora's records were from Sea Horse
Key, Levy County, Florida. The author's observations were made
along the coast of Wakulla and Franklin Counties, Florida, primarily
near the Florida State University marine laboratory at Alligator
Harbor, Franklin County, Florida.
The arrangement of the following list follows that of Corliss
( 1961 ). Solutions to taxonomic problems generally have been found
by reference to the opinions of Kahl (1930-1935) and Corliss (1960,
1961 ). Differences between the names listed here and the names under
which the various forms originally appeared are discussed in the
section following the list.
1962]
Borror: Ciliate Protozoa
335
Following the specific name in parentheses are references to reports
of the species from the regions noted in the historical review.
Subphylum CILIOPHORA Doflein
Class CILIATA Perty
Subclass I. HOLOTRICHA Stein
Order 1. GYMNOSTOMATIDA Butschli
Suborder 1. RHABDOPHORINA Faure-Fremiet
Family COLEPIDAE
Coleps pulcher Spiegel, 1926. (Noland, 1937; Borror.)
C. tesselatusKahl, 1930. (Noland, 1937; Borror.)
C. heterocanthusNoland,
1937. (Noland, 1937; Borror.)
C. spiralis Noland, 1937. (Noland, 1937; Flora, in litt.; Borror.)
Family ENCHELYIDAE
Holophrya coronata deMorgan, 1925. (Borror.)
H. sp. (Bovee, in litt.; Flora, in litt.)
Plagiocampa marina Kahl, 1930. (King, 1950; Flora, in litt.)
Prorodon teres Ehrenberg, 1838. (Smith, 1904; Borror.)
P. edentatus Claparede & Lachmann, 1858. (Smith, 1904.)
P. mimeticus Kahl, 1930. (Borror.)
P. sp. (Borror.)
Placus socialis Fabre-Domergue, 1889. (Noland, 1937; Flora, in litt.)
Lacrymaria olor Muller, 1776. (Borror.)
L. lagenula Claparede & Lachmann, 1858. (Smith, 1904.)
L. versatilis Quennerstedt, 1865. (Borror.)
L. sp. (Bovee, in litt.; Cooley, in litt.)
Cheanea teres Dujardin, 1841. (Borror.)
Trachelophyllum brachypharynx Levander, 1894. (Bovee, in litt.)
Family TRACHELOCERCIDAE
Trachelocerca subviridis Sauerbrey, 1928. (Noland, 1937; Bovee,
in litt.)
T. dracontoidts Bullington, 1940. (Bullington, 1940; Borror.)
Tracheloraphis phoenicopterus (Cohn, 1866). (Smith, 1904; Bullington, 1940; Bovee, in litt.; Borror.)
T. sp. (Borror.)
Family AMPHILEPTIDAE
Amphileptus claparedei Stein, 1867. (Bovee, in litt.; Flora, in litt.)
A. sp. (Bovee, in litt.)
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Litonotus jasciola Ehrenberg-Wrzesniowski,
1870. (Smith, 1904; Bovee, in litt.; Flora, in litt.)
L. obtusus (Maupas, 1888). (Borror.)
L. marina (Kah1, 1931). (Borror.)
L. sp. (Cooley, in litt.)
Loxophyllum setigerum Quennerstedt, 1867. (Smith, 1898, 1904;
Bovee, in litt.; Flora, in litt.; Borror.)
L. perihoplophorum von Buddenbrock, 1920. (Borror.)
Family LOXODIDAE
Loxodesrostrum (MUller, 1786). (Smith, 1904.)
L. sp. (Bovee, in litt.; Cooley, in litt.)
Remanella rugosa Kahl, 1933. (Borror.)
R. sp. (Borror.)
Kentrophoros fasciolatum Sauerbrey, 1928. (Noland,
K. lanceolata (Faure-Fremiet, 1951). (Borror.)
1937.)
Family DIDINIIDAE
Didinium sp. (Flora, in litt.; Borror.)
Mesodinium pulex Claparede & Lachmann, 1858. (Noland, 1937;
Bovee, in litt.; Flora, in litt.; Borror.)
M. acarus Stein, 1862. (Smith, 1904; Noland, 1937; Bovee, in litt.)
Askenasia stellaris Leegaard, 1920. (Borror.)
Family METACYSTIDAE
Metacystis sp. (Borror.)
Family SPATHIDIIDAE
Spathidium sp. (Bovee, in litt.; Cooley, in litt.; Borror.)
Paraspathidium trichostomum Noland, 1937. (Noland,
in litt.; Flora, in litt.)
Family ACTINOBOLINIDAE
(Smith,
Enchelyomorpha vermicularis (Smith, 1898).
1937; Bovee,
1898.)
Family GELEIIDAE
Geleia decolor Kahl, 1933. (Borror.)
2. CYRTOPHORINA
Faure-Fremiet
Family DYSTERIIDAE
Trochilia salina Bntz, 1897. (Borror.)
Dysteria calkinsi Kahl, 1931. (Flora, in litt.)
D. sp. (Bovee, in litt.)
Suborder
1962]
Borror: Ciliate Protozoa
337
Family CHLAMYDODONTIDAE
Chlamydodon triquetrus Muller, 1786. (Borror.)
C. mnemosyne Ehrenberg, 1837. (Smith, 1898, Bovee, in litt.)
C. obliquus Kahl, 1931. (Borror.)
Cryptopharynx setigerus Kahl, 1926. (Flora, in litt.)
Chilodonella cucullulus (MUller, 1786). (Smith, 1904.)
C. sp. (Bovee, in litt.)
Family NASSULIDAE
Nassula gigantea Bullington, 1940. (Bullington,
Chilodontopsis vorax (Stokes, 1887). (Borror.)
1940.)
Family CLATHROSTOMATIDAE
Paranassula microstoma (Claparede & Lachmann, 1858).
1937.)
(Noland,
Order 2. TRICHOSTOMA TlDA BUtschli
Family COLPODIDAE
Colpoda aspera Kahl, 1926. (Flora, in litt.)
WoodrufJia sp. (Flora, in litt.)
Family PLAGIOPYLIDAE
Plagiopyla megastoma (Smith, 1898). (Smith, 1898, ]904.)
P. ovata Kahl, 1931. (Borror.)
Sonderia pharyngia Kirby, 1934. (Flora, in litt.)
Family ENTORHIPIDIIDAE
Entodiscus sabulonis Powers, 1935. (Powers, 1935.)
Biggaria bermudensis (Biggar, 1932.) (Powers, 1935.)
Trimyemamarinum
Family TRIMYEMIDAE
(Kahl, 1931). (Borror.)
Order 3. CHONOTRICHIDA
Wallengren-none
re.corded.
Order 4. SUCTORIDA Claparede & Lachmann
Family ACINETIDAE
Acineta tuberosa Ehrenberg, 1837. (Bovee, in litt.)
Family DENDROSOMATIDAE
Trichophrya columbiae Wailes, 1932. (Bovee, in litt.)
Unidentified suctorian (Cooley, in litt.; Borror.)
Order
5. APOSTOMATIDA-none
recorded.
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Order
Anoplophrya
1942.)
6. ASTOMATIDA
SchewiakotI
Family ANOPLOPHRYIDAE
macronucleata Wichterman, 1942. (Wichterman,
Family MAUPASELLIDAE
Maupasella leptus Wichterman, 1942. (Wichterman,
Order 7. HYMENOSTOMA
1942.)
TIDA Delage & Herouard
Suborder
1. TETRAHYMENINA
Faure-Fremiet
Family OPHRYOGLENIDAE
ophryoglena frontonia B uIlington, 1940. (B uIlington, 1940.)
Family PHILASTERIDAE
Phi/aster digitijormis
Fabre-Domergue,
1885. (Bovee, in lift.)
Philasterides armata (Kahl, 1926). (Flora, in litt.)
Helicostoma buddenbrocki Kahl, 1931. (Flora, in litt.)
H. sp. (Borror.)
Family COHNILEMBIDAE
Cohnilembus vermin us (Muller, 1786). (Smith, 1898, 1904; Bovee,
in litt.; Borror.
C. caeci Powers, 1935. (Powers, 1935; Bovee, in litt.)
C. sp. (Bovee, in litt.; Borror.)
AnophryselongataBiggar,
1932. (Powers, 1933, 1935.)
A. aglycus Powers, 1935. (Powers, 1935.)
Uronema marinum Dujardin, 1841. (Smith, 1904; Pearse, 1932;
Bovee, in litt.; Flora, in litt.; Borror.)
U. acutum von Buddenbrock, 1920. (Borror.)
U. filificum Kahl, 1931. (Borror.)
U. pleurocaudatum Noland, 1937. (Noland, 1937; Bovee, In litt.;
Flora, in lilt.)
U. sp. (Powers, 1933.)
Family TETRAHYMENIDAE
Tetrahymena pyriformis (Ehrenberg, 1830). (Flora, in lilt.)
Platynematum hyalinum (Kahl, 1931). (Borror.)
P. denticulatum Kahl, 1935. (Borror.)
Loxocephalus granulosusKent,
1882. (Smith, 1904.)
L. sp. (Borror.)
1962]
Borror: Ciliate Protozoa
339
Suborder
2. PEN/CULINA
Faure-Fr,emiet
Family PARAMECIIDAE
Paramecium caudatum Ehrenberg, 1838. (Smith, 1904.)
P. sp. (Bovee, in litt.)
Cinetochilum
Family CINETOCHILIDAE
margaritaceum Perty, 1852. (Bovee, in litt.)
Family UROCENTRIDAE
Urocentrum turbo (Muller, 1786). (Smith, 1904.)
Family FRONTONIIDAE
Frontonia marina Fabre-Domergue, 1891. (Borror.)
F. microstoma Kahl, 1931. (Borror.)
F. ocularis Bullington, 1939. (Bullington, 1939.)
F. schaefferi Bullington, 1939. (Bullington, 1939.)
Cardiostomatella vermiforme (Kahl, 1928). (Borror.)
Suborder
3. PLEURONEMATINA
Faure-Fremiet
Family PLEURONEMATIDAE
Cyc/idium glaucoma Muller, 1786. (Smith, 1904.)
C. elongatum Schewiakoff, 1896. (Borror.)
C. curvatum Mansfield, 1922. (Borror.)
C. versatile Penard, 1922. (Borror.)
C. rhabdotectum Powers, 1935. (Powers, 1935; Bovee, in litt.)
C. sp. (Bovee, in litt.)
Cristigera media Kahl, 1928. (Flora, in /itt.)
Pleuronema crassum Dujardin, 1841. (Smith, 1904.)
P. marinum Dujardin, 1841. (Noland, 1937; Bovee, in /itt.; Flora,
in litt.; Borror.)
P. coronatum Kent, 1881. (Noland,
1937; Borror.)
P. setigera Calkins, 1901. (Noland, 1937; Bovee, in litt.; Borror.)
Histiobalantium semisetatum Noland, 1937. (Noland, 1937.)
Order 8. THIGMOTRICHIDA
Chatton & Lwoff
Suborder 2. RHYNCHOD/NA
Chatton & Lwoff
Family HYSTEROCINETIDAE
Hysterocineta pontodrila Wichterman, 1942. (Wichterman,
2. RHYNCHODINA
Chatton & Lwoff
Family ANCISTROCOMIDAE
sp. (Bovee, in /itt.)
Suborder
Ancistrocoma
1942.)
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Order 9. PERITRJCHIDA
Stein
Suborder 1. SESSILIN A Kahl
Family VORTICELLIDAE
Vorticella nebulifera Muller, 1786. (Pearse, 1932; Borror.)
V. alba Fromentel, 1874. (Smith, 1904.)
V. sp. (Cooley, in lilt.)
Carchesium sp. (Cooley, in lilt.)
Zoothamnium plicatum Gourret & Roeser, 1886. (Borror.)
Family V AGlNICOLIDAE
Vaginicola sp. (Borror.)
Cothurnia sp. (Borror.)
Epistylis sp. (Pearse,
Cyclochaeta
Family EPISTYLIDIDAE
1932.)
Suborder 2. MOBILINA
Kahl
Family URCEOLARIIDAE
sp. (Borror.)
Subclass II. SPIROTRICHA
Butschli
Order 1. HETEROTRICHIDA
Stein
Suborder 1. HETEROTRICHINA
Stein
Family STENTORIDAE
Stentor auriculatus Kahl, 1932. (Bullington, 1940; Borror.)
Family GYROCORYTHIDAE
Metopus es Muller, 1786. (Smith, 1904.)
M. contortus Quennerstedt, 1869. (Borror.)
M. circumlabens Biggar, 1932. (Powers, 1933, 1935.)
M. rotundus Lucas, 1934. (Powers, 1935.)
M. brevicristatus Powers, 1935. (Powers, 1935.)
M. histophagus Powers, 1935. (Powers, 1935.)
Peritromus
Borror.)
Family PERlTROMIDAE
faurei Kahl, 1932. (Bullington,
1940;
Flora,
In lilt.;
Family SPIROSTOMATIDAE
Spirostomum teres Claparede & Lachmann, 1859. (Borror.)
Gruberia lanceolatum (Gruber, 1884). (Bullington, 1940; Borror.)
Blepharisma sp. (Cooley, in lilt.; Borror.)
1962]
Borror: Ciliate Protozoa
341
Protocruzia pigerrima (Cohn, 1866). (Smith, 1904; Flora, in lilt.)
P. adhaerens (Mansfield, 1923). (Borror.)
Parablepharisma collare Kahl, 1932. (Borror.)
P. bacteriophora Villeneuve-Brachon,
1940. (Borror.)
Family FOLLIcuLINIDAE
Folliculina d. moebiusi Kahl, 1932. (Roberts, in Sprague, 1954.)
Metafolliculina andrewsi Hadzi, 1938. (Andrews, 1944, 1946.)
Parafolliculina amphora Dons, 1913. (Andrews, 1944.)
Family CONDYLOSTOMATIDAE
Condylostoma patens MUller, 1786. (Smith, 1904.)
C. arenarium Spiegel, 1926. (Bullington, 1940; Borror.)
C. magnum Spiegel, 1926. (Bullington, 1940.)
C. remanei Speigel, 1926. (Borror.)
Suborder 2. LICNOPHORINA Corliss - none recorded.
Order 2. OLIGOTRICHIDA
BUtschli
Family HALTERIIDAE
Halteria grandinella (MUller, 1786). (Bovee, in lilt.)
H. activa Smith, 1900. (Smith, 1900.)
H. sp. (Pearse, 1932; Bovee, in lilt.)
Strombidium sulcatum Claparede & Lachmann, 1859. (Borror.)
S. viride Stein, 1859. (Borror.)
S. alveolare Bullington, 1940. (Bullington, 1940.)
S. sp. (Bovee, in lift.)
Family STROBILIDIIDAE
Strobilidium caudatum (Fromentel, 1876). (Smith, 1904.)
Order 3. TINT INN IDA Kofoid & Campbell
Family TINTINNIDAE
Amphorides sp. (Davis, 1950.)
Salpingella sp. (Davis, 1950.)
Tintinnus sp. (Davis, 1950.)
Family CODONELLIDAE
Tintinnopsis beroidea Stein. (Smith, 1904.)
T. sp. (Davis, 1950.)
Family CODONELLOPSIDAE
Codonellopsis sp. (Davis, 1950.)
Stenosemella sp. (Davis, 1950.)
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Bulletin of Marine Science of the Gulf and Caribbean
Helicostomella
Ascampbelliella
[12(3)
Family COXLIELLIDAE
sp. (Davis, 1950.)
Family PETALOTRICHIDAE
sp. (Davis, 1950.)
Family PTYCHOCYLIDIDAE
Favella sp. (Davis, 1950.)
Family UNDELLIDAE
Proplectella sp. (Davis, 1950.)
Order
4. ENTODINIOMORPHIDA
Reichenow -
none recorded.
Order
Mylestoma
Borror.)
5. ODONTOSTOMATIDA
Sawaya
Family MYLESTOMATIDAE
bipartitum (Gourret & Roeser, 1886). (Bovee,
Order 6. HYPOTRICHIDA
Stein
Family OXYTRICHIDAE
Uroleptopsis roscoviana Maupas, 1883. (Borror.)
Strongylidium sp. (Pearse, 1932.)
Stichotricha marina Stein, 1867. (Borror.)
Kerona sp. (Bovee, in litt.)
Urostyla grandis Ehrenberg, 1838. (Smith, 1904.)
U. dispar Kahl, 1932. (Borror.)
U. marina Kahl, 1932. (Borror.)
Epiclintes ambiguus (Miiller, 1786). (Borror.)
E. caudatus Bullington, 1940. (Bullington, 1940.)
Holosticha (Keronopsis) rubra (Ehrenberg,
1838). (Smith,
Bullington, (1940; Borror.)
H. (K.) sp. (Bovee, in litt.)
H. (Holosticha) discocephalus KahI, 1932. (Borror.)
H. (H.) alveolata Kahl, 1932. (Borror.)
H. (H.) kessleri (Wrzesniowski, 1877). (Borror.)
H. (H.)diademata
(Rees, 1884). (Borror.)
H. (H.) vernalis Stokes, 1887. (Bovee, in litt.)
H. (Trichotaxis) velox Quennerstedt, 1869. (Bovee, in litt.)
H. (Amphisiella) annulata KahI, 1928. (Borror.)
H. sp. (Bovee, in litt.)
Balladyna parvula Kowalewski, 1882. (Borror.)
in litt.;
1904;
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Borror: Ciliate Protozoa
343
Gastrostyla pulchra (Perejaslawzewa, 1885). (Borror.)
Trachelostyla pediculiformis (Cohn, 1866). (Smith, 1904; Borror.)
Gonostomum strenuum (Engelmann, 1862). Bovee, in litt.)
Oxytricha (Oxytricha) ovalis Kahl, 1932. (Bovee, in litt.)
O. (Tachysoma) pellionel/a (Muller-Stein, 1859). (Smith, 1904.)
O. (Opisthotricha) paral/ela Engelmann, 1862. (Smith, 1904.)
O. (0.) sp. (Borror.)
O. (Urosoma) sp. (Borror.)
O. (Stylonychia) mytilus Ehrenberg, 1838. (Smith, 1904.)
O. (S.) pustulata Ehrenberg, 1838. (Smith, 1904.)
O. (S.) sp. (Pearse, 1932; Anigstein, 1949.)
Uncinata gigantea Bullington, 1940. (Bullington, 1940.)
Family PARAEUPLOTIDAE
tortugensis Wichterman, 1942. (Wichterman,
Paraeuplotes
Bovee, in litt.)
1942;
Family EUPLOTlDAE
Diophrys appendiculata (Ehrenberg, 1838). (Smith, 1904; Flora,
in litt.; Borror.)
D. scutum Dujardin, 1842. (Borror.)
D. irmgard Mansfield, 1923. (Borror.)
Uronychia transfuga (Muller, 1786).
(Smith, 1904; Bullington,
1940; Bovee, in /itt.; Borror.)
Euplotes charon (Muller, 1786). (Smith, 1904; Bovee, in litt.;
Anigstein, 1949; Flora, in litt.; Borror.)
E. vannus (Muller, 1786). (Bovee, in litt.; Borror.)
E. crassus (Dujardin, 1842). (Bovee, in litt.)
E. harpa Stein, 1859. (Smith, 1904; Bovee, in litt.)
E. elegans Kahl, 1932. (Borror.)
E. moebiusi KahI, 1932. (Borror.)
E. trisulcatus Kahl, 1932. (Bovee, in /itt.; Borror.)
E. woodruffi Gaw, 1939. (Borror.)
E. sp. (King, 1950; Bovee, in litt.)
Euplotidium agitatum Noland, 1937. (Noland, 1937; Flora, in /itt.)
Gastrocirrhus stentoreus Bullington, 1940. (Bullington, 1940; Borror. )
Family ASPIDISCIDAE
Aspidisca aculeata (Ehrenberg, 1838). (Bovee, in litt.; Borror.)
A. lynceus Ehrenberg, 1838. (Smith, 1904; Bovee, in litt.)
A. turrita Ehrenberg, 1838. (Smith, 1904.)
344
A.
A.
A.
A.
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[12(3)
costata (Dujardin, 1842). (Smith, 1904.)
polystyla Stein, 1859. (Bovee, in litt.; Flora, in litt.)
steini (Buddenbrock, 1920). (Borror.)
sp. (Bovee, in litt.; Borror.)
SYNONYMY
The following nominal species of ciliates, recorded from the Gulf
of Mexico by the authors cited, are considered to be junior synonyms
of species listed in the preceding list.
Condylostoma granulosum and Condylostoma minutum, described
by Bullington (1940) from the Dry Tortugas, are both synonymous
with C. arenarium Spiegel, 1926, in the opinion of the present author.
As shown by Kiesselbach (1935) the size and shape of the body and
buccal cavity, as well as the conformation of the macronucleus in
C. arenarium are characters which vary according to the environment.
Gonostomum
pediculiforme
Maupas,
1883,
recorded
by Smith
(1904), is synonymous with Trachelostyla pediculiformis (Cohn,
1886) according to Kahl (1932).
Holosticha {lava Cohn, 1866, recorded by Smith (1904) is synonymous with Holosticha rubra (Ehrenberg, 1838) according to Kahl
(1932).
Lembus ornatus Smith, 1898, described from material collected
in Lake Ponchartrain, and Lembus velifer Cohn, 1866, recorded by
Smith (1904), have been placed in synonymy with L. verminus
(Muller, 1786) by Kahl (1931).
L.itosolenus armatus Stokes, 1893, reported by Smith (1898), is
synonymous with Loxophyllum setigerum Quennerstedt, 1867, according to Kahl (1931).
Metopus sigmoides Claparede & Lachmann, 1858, recorded by
Smith (1904) is synonymous with M. es MUlier, 1786, according to
Kahl (1932).
Peritromus tortugensis, described by Bullington (1940) is synonymous with P. faurei Kahl, 1932, in my opinion. According to Bullington (1940), the lateral spines of P. tortugensis are directed horizontally whereas those of P. faurei are directed vertically. This is not
a valid structural difference, since the angle at which the spines protrude varies with the extent to which the edge of the body is curled.
I feel that the slight difference in relative size and shape of the body
between P. faurei and the ciliate observed by Bullington is not sufficient to warrant separation into two species. According to Bulling-
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Borror: Ciliate Protozoa
345
ton's description, the somatic ciliature of P. tortugensis is aborala feature not previously recorded for the genus, and possibly in error.
Pleuronema chrysalis Perty, 1852, recorded by Smith, 1904, has
been placed in synonymy with P. crassum, Dujardin, 1841 by Kahl
(1931) .
Stylonychia mytilus Ehrenberg, 1838 and S. pustulata Ehrenberg,
1838, both reported by Smith (1904), are in the subgenus Stylonychia of the genus Oxytricha according to Kahl (1932).
Uronychia heinrothi Buddenbrock, 1920, reported by Bullington
(1940), is thought to be synonymous with U. transfuga (MUller,
1786). The macronuclear configuration is variable in this species,
and in the opinion of Kahl (1932) and the present author, U. heinrothi should be considered as a variation of the older species.Vorticella marina Greef, 1870, reported by Pearse (1932) was
thought to be synonymous with V. nebulifera MUller, 1786 by Noland
and Finley (1931) and is considered as such here.
OTHER
TAXONOMIC CHANGES
The following species have been placed in other genera since they
were reported from the Gulf of Mexico because of errors in original
generic placement or more recently discovered homonyms:
Blepharostoma pigerrima (Cohn, 1866), recorded by Smith (1904)
is placed in the genus Protocruzia by Kahl (1931).
Chilodon cucullulus (MUller, 1786), seen by Smith (1904) is
placed in the genus Chilodonella Strand 1926 by Kahl (1931) because the generic name Chilodon is preoccupied.
Craterella sp. Kofoid & Campbell, 1928, reported by Davis (1950),
is placed in the genus Ascampbelliella Corliss because the former
generic name is preoccupied (Corliss, 1960).
Enchelys vermicularis, described by Smith (1898) has since been
transferred to the genus Enchelyomorpha Kahl by Kahl (1930).
Lembus Cohn, 1865 was replaced in 1935 by Cohnilembus Kahl
because the former name was preoccupied.
The generic name Lionotus is in error (Corliss, 1960) and is
replaced by Litonotus Wrzesniowski, 1870.
The genus Platynematum has been placed in the Tetrahymenidae
because it possesses tetrahymenal buccal apparatus. Observations on
living individuals of Platynematum hyalinum have been corroborated with specimens prepared according to the Chatton-Lwoff silver
impregnation technique (Corliss, 1953).
346
Bulletin of Marine Science of the Gulf and Caribbean
[12(3)
Tillina megastoma, described by Smith (1898), has been placed
in the genus Plagiopyla by Kahl (1931).
Trachelocerca phoenicopterus (Cohn, 1866) has been removed from
this genus and designated as type of the genus Tracheloraphis by
Dragesco (l 960) .
It is hoped that the preceding sections will clarify differences between the nomenclature used here and those employed by previous
investigators of the ciliates of the Gulf of Mexico.
DISCUSSION
Twelve orders, 57 families, and 116 genera of ciliates are known
to be represented in the Gulf of Mexico. A total of 168 forms have
been identified to species, of which only 25 were originally described
from material collected in the Gulf of Mexico.
In addition to these 168 species, 46 species have been identified to
genus or subgenus, but not to species. Twenty-four of these 46 species
belong to genera or subgenera not otherwise recorded from the Gulf.
Seven of the remaining 22 are known to be species not otherwise
on the list. These are in the genera Prorodon, Tracheloraphis, Remanella, Dysteria, Loxocephalus, Cohnilembus, and Oxytricha (Opisthotricha). Thus, 199 (168
24
7) different ciliates are known to
occur il} the Gulf, of which 168 have been identified to species.
Besides these 199 species, there are 20 species which have been
identified only to genus. Although it is not known whether or not
these have been differentiated from listed species in the genus, it
has seemed worthwhile to include thein in the list.
The majority of the species of ciliates recorded from this area
were originally described from other parts of the world, primarily
Europe. This, along with the similarity of the present list to others
from intertidal regions of North America (Calkins, 1901; Kirby,
1934) indicates that the ciliate fauna of the Gulf of Mexico has a low
degree of endemism. Many of the forms common in this area have a
cosmopolitan distribution, and many occur in fresh water as well. It
is apparent that the distribution of ciliates is not limited by geographical barriers. Ecological studies presently in progress suggest,
rather, that the distribution of ciliates may be controlled by the availability of suitable micro-environments.
It is likely that many more species of ciliates remain to be discovered in the Gulf of Mexico. Future identifications of ciliates, especially members of difficult hymenostome and oxytrichid genera,
+
+
1962J
Borror: Ciliate Protozoa
347
should be based in part on permanently preserved material prepared
according to a technique such as that of Chatton-Lwoff
(Corliss,
1953) which elucidates the infraciliature in diagrammatic clarity.
The author wishes to 'express his thanks to Dr. Alan J. Kohn, of
the University of Washington for his helpful comments and suggestions in the preparing of this manuscript. The research was carried
out during tenure of a fellowship from the National Science Foundation.
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