Acta Protozool. (2000) 39: 337 - 344
Testate Amoebae (Protozoa: Rhizopoda) from Thailand
Vassil G. GOLEMANSKY and Milcho T. TODOROV
Institute of Zoology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
Summary. A total of 91 taxa belonging to 30 genera of testate amoebae were established in 10 moss, soil and aquatic samples, collected
in the park of the Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok and in the “Khao Yai” National Park, Thailand. Four genera and 18 species of them
were announced for the first time to the testacean fauna of Thailand. The morphological and biometrical characterisation of some rare
testaceans like Cyclopyxis intermedia Kufferath, 1932, Cyclopyxis lithostoma Bonnet, 1974, Ellipsopyxis lamottei Bonnet, 1974, and
Lamtopyxis cassagnaui Bonnet, 1977, were made using a light and scanning electron microscope. The following synonyms for C. intermedia
have been adopted: C. gigantea Bartoš, 1963; C. kahli grandis Chibisova, 1967 and C. bathystoma Chibisova, 1967.
Key words: biometry, faunistic, morphology, taxonomy, testate amoebae, Thailand.
INTRODUCTION
The testacean fauna of Thailand has as yet been
poorly studied. Only the publications of Bonnet (1981,
1987) and of Todorov and Golemansky (1999) concern
the testaceans of this country. On the basis of many
investigated soil samples, Bonnet established rich soil
testacean fauna composed of more than 150 species
and 37 genera of testate amoebae. He observed many
cosmopolitan and eurybiotic species, including some
genera and species of Gondwanan origin. Among them
are Lamtopyxis, Distomatopyxis, Deharvengia,
Planhoogenraadia etc., which are interesting from a
taxonomical and evolutional point of view, and are
Address for correspondence: Vassil Golemansky,
Milcho Todorov, Institute of Zoology, 1 Tsar Osvoboditel
Blvd., 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria; Fax: (3592) 988-28-97; E-mail:
[email protected]
typical soil inhabitants of the South-eastern AsiaticNorth Oceanic region (Bonnet 1987).
In July 1995 one of us (V. Golemansky) visited
Thailand and collected samples from freshwater biotopes,
epiphytic and terrestrial mosses and soils, in which we
established rich testacean fauna. The faunistic data
resulted in our study and the morphological and biometrical characterization of some rare and interesting species,
observed in this region, are the subject of the present
publication.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The samples for the present study were collected in July 1995 in
the park of Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok and in the “Khao
Yai” National Park, Thailand. The “Khao Yai” National Park is
located 180 km northeast of Bangkok in the Dongrak Mountains. Its
altitude ranges from 250 to 1351 m a.s.l. and more than 85% of its
338 V. Golemansky and M. Todorov
surface is covered with typical tropical forests. The annual rainfall is
about 2270 mm and the very high humidity supports an abundant
growth of soil and epiphytic mosses. The materials were collected
especially from the following localities and stations:
I. “Khao Yai” National Park: (1) forest stream (06.07.1995);
(2) submerged aquatic mosses (06.07.1995); (3) humid soil mosses
(06-07.07.1995); (4) humid epiphytic mosses on tree trunks
(06.07.1995); (5) humid soil in a tropical forest (06.07.1995).
II. Bangkok, Park of the Chulalongkorn University: (6) humid soil
under banana trees (11.07.1995); (7) a small artificial lake with
aquatic vegetation (Potamogeton sp., Myriophyllum sp., Chara sp.)
(10.07.1995).
The morphology of some shells was examined with a scanning
electron microscope, JEOL Superprobe-733 operating at 15 kV.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Faunistical and biogeographical aspects
A total of 4745 specimens belonging to 91 species and
30 genera of testate amoebae were established
as a result of this study. Two species of them
(Planhoogenraadia bonneti and Centropyxis thailandica)
proved to be unknown and were described as new species
in our previous paper (Todorov and Golemansky 1999).
In addition, four genera and 18 species were announced
for the first time to the testacean fauna of Thailand. Thus
Table 1. List of taxa and their presence (number of individuals) in the studied biotopes
Taxa
Arcella arenaria Greeff
* A. discoides Ehr.
Assulina muscorum Greeff
Awerintzewia cyclostoma (Pen.) Schout.
Bullinularia indica Pen.
Centropyxis aculeata (Ehr.) Stein
C. aerophila Defl.
C. cassis (Wall.) Defl.
C. constricta (Ehr.) Pen.
C. ecornis (Ehr.) Leidy
C. elongata (Pen.) Thomas
C. minuta Defl.
C. orbicularis Defl.
* C. plagiostoma Bonnet & Thomas
C. plagiostoma terricola Bonnet & Thomas
C. platystoma (Pen.) Defl.
C. stenodeflandriana Bonnet
C. sylvatica (Defl.) Thomas
C. sylvatica minor Bonnet & Thomas
C. thailandica Todorov & Golemansky
Corythion dubium Taranek
Cyclopyxis arceloides Pen.
C. eurystoma Defl.
C. eurystoma parvula Bonnet & Thomas
C. intermedia Kufferath
C. kahli Defl.
* C. kahli cyclostoma Bonnet & Thomas
C. lithostoma Bonnet
C. puteus Thomas
** Cryptodifflugia compressa Pen.
** Cucurbitella mespiliformis Pen.
* Difflugia corona Wallich
* D. gramen Pen.
D. lucida Pen.
* Ellipsopyxis lamottei Bonnet
Euglypha bryophila Brown
1
2
3
2
5
2
4
1
-
3
2
1
1
2
5
10
-
15
15
11
24
15
32
27
3
39
64
246
7
120
9
114
9
90
288
5
24
3
8
2
-
Biotopes
4
5
6
7
3
15
12
45
51
15
4
18
21
4
24
34
7
84
2
2
1
1
-
1
-
2
8
3
3
4
-
Testate amoebae from Thailand 339
Table 1. (contd)
E. ciliata Leidy
* E. compressa Carter
E. cristata Leidy
E. denticulata Brown
E. filifera Pen.
E. laevis Perty
E. polylepis (Bonnet) Bonnet & Thomas
E. rotunda Wailes
E. strigosa (Ehr.) Leidy
E. tuberculata Dujardin
Heleopera petricola Leidy
H. rosea Pen.
H. sylvatica Pen.
Hyalosphenia subflava Cash
Lamtopyxis cassagnaui Bonnet
** Microcorycia flava (Greeff) Pen.
Nebela bigibbosa Pen.
N. bohemica Taranek
* N. caudata Leidy
N. collaris (Ehr.) Leidy
N. dentistoma Pen.
N. lageniformis Pen.
N. militaris Pen.
N. minor Pen.
N. parvula Cash
N. tincta (Leidy) Awerintzew
N. tubulata Brown
** Netzelia oviformis (Cash & Hopkinson)
Phryganella acropodia (Hertw. & Les.) Hopk.
Plagiopyxis callida Pen.
P. declivis Thomas
P. intermedia Bonnet
P. minuta Bonnet
P. oblonga (Bonnet & Thomas)
P. pusilla Bonnet
Playfairina valkanovi Golemansky
Planhoogenraadia bonneti Tod & Gol.
Pseudodifflugia gracilis terricola Bon. & Th.
Quadrulella quadrigera (Wall.) Defl.
Q. symmetrica (Wall.) Defl.
Schwabia terricola thomasi Bonnet
Sphenoderia fissirostris Pen.
* S. lenta Schlumberger
* S. macrolepis Leidy
Tracheleuglypha acolla Bonnet & Thomas
* T. dentata (Vejdovsky) Defl.
Trachelocorythion pulchellum (Pen.) Bonnet
Trigonopyxis arcula (Leidy) Pen.
* T. arcula major Chardez
* T. bathystoma Bartoš
* T. microstoma Hoogenraad & de Groot
Trinema complanatum Pen.
T. enchelys (Ehr.) Leidy
T. grandis (Chardez) Golemansky
T. lineare Pen.
Total taxa / individuals:
91
4745
* new species to the testacean fauna of Thailand
** new genera to the testacean fauna of Thailand
2
1
3
1
1
3
3
2
5
5
2
1
2
5
2
1
4
36
6
1
3
4
11
25
23
98
7
4
9
24
178
13
75
7
16
12
15
5
5
36
21
30
12
13
165
126
285
9
21
12
4
2
9
12
57
8
26
129
45
57
156
45
468
60
3295
3
4
86
65
3
6
11
9
11
18
8
61
6
18
78
14
114
9
27
11
5
15
75
34
45
2
156
42
1234
7
4
15
5
3
2
3
16
1
2
3
6
1
-
11
59
4
7
7
27
340 V. Golemansky and M. Todorov
the total number of the established testate amoebae in this
country amounts to 168 species of 41 genera. The list of
the testate amoebae observed and their distribution in
different biotopes are given in Table 1.
The present study shows that the testacean fauna of
Thailand is very rich and diverse. It is composed of an
ensemble of cosmopolitan species and of species with
restricted geographical distribution. According to Bonnet
(1987) more of the testate amoebae with a restricted
geographical distribution are typical of the regions with
Gondwanan origin (Africa, South America, Southeast
Asia, North Oceania) and possibly represent Gondwanan
relicts. The species Centropyxis stenodeflandriana,
C. lithostoma, Ellipsopyxis lamottei, Lamtopyxis
cassagnaui, Nebela caudata, Plagiopyxis pusilla,
Planhoogenraadia bonneti, Quadrulella quadrigera
and Trigonopyxis bathistoma were some of these rare
and characteristic species observed also by us in Thailand. The morphological and the biometrical characteristics of some of them, observed in large numbers in our
samples, are given bellow.
Systematics and synonymy
Cyclopyxis intermedia Kufferath, 1932 (Figs. 1, 2)
Syn.: Cyclopyxis gigantea Bartoš, 1963, p. 150;
C. bathystoma Chibisova, 1967, p. 184; C. kahli grandis
Chibisova, 1967, p. 185.
This species was observed and described for the first
time by Kufferath (1932) in moss samples from Congo.
According to Kufferath the shell dimensions of
the species are: diameter - 110-220 µm, aperture - 50 µm,
H/D - 0.6-0.62. Later Bartoš (1963) described
C. gigantea in moss samples from Java, which were
similar to C. intermedia and we accepted the opinion of
Foissner and Korganova (1995) that it is a junior synonym for this species. According to Bartoš the shell
dimensions of C. gigantea are: diameter - more than
200 µm, height - 100 µm, aperture - 50 µm, invagination
of aperture - 29-30 µm. Foissner and Korganova (1995)
redescribed C. intermedia on the basis of material from
a deciduous forest in the East Caucasus and indicated
the following shell dimensions: diameter - 162-187 µm,
height - 118-137 µm, aperture - 33-62 µm and invagination of aperture - 37 µm.
In our study we established a relatively rich population of C. intermedia in the humid soil mosses of the
“Khao Yai” National Park (Station 3). The shell form
and the structure of the observed specimens are similar
to the original description. The differences between our
specimens and those observed by Kufferath, Bartoš and
Foissner and Korganova are mainly in the shell dimensions. As a whole, all our specimens have bigger shell
dimensions: diameter - 190-232 µm, height - 131-142 µm
and diameter of aperture - 57-70 µm (Table 2). Our
population is nearest in dimensions to the Caucasian
population of C. intermedia.
Foissner and Korganova (1995) considered three
other taxa (C. lithostoma Bonnet, 1974, C. bathystoma
Chibisova, 1967 and C. kahli grandis Chibisova, 1967)
also as junior synonyms for C. intermedia Kufferath,
1932. In our opinion, the suggested synonymy is only
correct for C. bathystoma Chibisova and for C. kahli
grandis Chibisova.
We consider that C. lithostoma Bonnet, as well as
C. pirini Golemansky, 1974, mentioned by Foissner and
Korganova as a possible synonym for C. intermedia,
were described in detail. In our opinion the original
description of these two species was more detailed and
informative than that of C. intermedia. Furthermore,
C. lithostoma Bonnet and C. pirini Golemansky possess many morphometrical features like shell structure,
apertural construction and shell size, which clearly distinguishes them from C. intermedia. Furthermore, their
ecology is also different. C. lithostoma Bonnet is a soil
inhabitant and C. pirini Golemansky is an aquatic or
Sphagnum dwelling species. We think, therefore, that
their synonymy is not acceptable.
According to us, of the five taxa suggested by
Foissner and Korganova (1995) there is reason to synonymize only C. gigantea, C. bathystoma and C. kahli
grandis. Their original descriptions were not detailed
and were based on a small number of observed specimens. Remember that C. bathystoma was described on
the basis of only one specimen (Chibisova 1967). Furthermore, these taxa have similar morphometrical characteristics to C. intermedia.
Cyclopyxis lithostoma Bonnet, 1974 (Figs. 3-9)
Bonnet (1974) described Cyclopyxis lithostoma from
soil samples of gramineous rhizosphere (Loudetia,
Hyparrhenia) from the Lamto region of the Ivory
Coast, Africa. During our investigations, this species
was frequently observed in humid epiphytic moss samples
from the “Khao Yai” National Park (St. 4).
The shell of C. lithostoma is composed of a mixture
of small, siliceous shell plates and assorted flattened
pieces of quartz arranged so that the shell is thin and
Testate amoebae from Thailand 341
Figs. 1-2. Cyclopyxis intermedia. 1 - apertural view, 2 - lateral view showing the rough dorsal half of shell. Scale bars - 1, 2 - 50 µm
Table 2. Morphometrical characteristic of Cyclopyxis intermedia Kufferath*
Characters
Diameter
Height
Aperture
Invagination of aperture
x
M
SD
SEx
CV
Min
Max
n
211.2
136.2
65.4
28.2
212.3
136.4
66.1
28.3
6.8
4.3
2.8
2.1
1.6
1.4
1.3
1.2
14.6
13.4
8.1
4.5
190
131
57
25
232
142
70
31
21
21
21
21
Abbreviations: x - arithmetical mean, M - median, SD - standard deviation, SEx - standard error of the mean, CV - coefficient of variation,
Min - minimum, Max - maximum, n - number of the measured specimens. *All measurements in µm
Table 3. Morphometrical characteristic of Cyclopyxis lithostoma Bonnet
Characters
Diameter
Height
Aperture
Invagination of aperture
x
M
SD
SEx
CV
Min
Max
n
159.2
88.4
32.4
28.2
158.3
89.1
31.8
28.5
3.8
2.3
1.8
1.4
1.2
1.1
1.0
0.9
3.6
2.4
5.1
1.5
150
84
28
26
175
95
35
32
58
34
58
34
Abbreviations: see Table 2
Table 4. Morphometrical characteristic of Ellipsopyxis lamottei Bonnet
Characters
Large axis of the shell
Small axis of the shell
Height
Grand axis of aperture
Small axis of aperture
Abbreviations: see Table 2
x
M
SD
SEx
CV
Min
Max
n
105.2
81.4
54.1
33.0
21.6
107.1
80.2
54.3
32.8
21.7
5.3
4.2
4.3
2.1
1.9
1.4
1.3
1.2
1.1
1.0
7.6
7.4
6.7
2.3
2.2
98
75
52
30
20
114
87
57
35
23
9
9
9
9
9
342 V. Golemansky and M. Todorov
Figs. 3-9. Cyclopyxis lithostoma. 3-5 - dorsal, ventral and lateral views showing the smooth surface of shell, 6 - apertural view showing the indented
pseudostome, 7 - apertural view, 8, 9 ventral and dorsal views. Scale bars - 3-5 - 50 µm; 6, 7 - 15 µm; 8, 9 - 50 µm
Testate amoebae from Thailand 343
Figs. 10-12. Ellipsopyxis lamottei. 10 - apertural view, 11, 12 - apertural and lateral views. Scale bars - 10-12 - 20 µm
Figs. 13, 14. Lamtopyxis cassagnaui. 13, 14 - apertural views showing the pseudostome area with three highly flattened teeth. Scale
bars - 13 - 20 µm; 14 - 30 µm
Table 5. Morphometrical characteristic of Lamtopyxis cassagnaui Bonnet
Characters
Diameter
Height
Aperture
Invagination of aperture
Abbreviations: see Table 2
x
M
SD
SEx
CV
Min
Max
n
135.4
90.4
36.7
27.1
136.1
91.1
37.4
27.6
3.7
3.3
2.8
2.2
1.5
1.3
1.2
1.1
5.4
3.2
2.2
1.3
130
87
35
25
141
95
42
30
15
15
15
15
344 V. Golemansky and M. Todorov
smooth giving it a regular outline. The characteristic
feature of C. lithostoma is the lack of large and rough
xenosomes on the shell surface. Maybe that is the
reason for the low coefficients of variation for the shell
diameter and shell height (Table 3). Another feature of
C. lithostoma is the presence of a rim of rough dent-like
xenosomes around the shell aperture, which gives it an
indented view (Figs. 6-8). In our investigations, we
observed that these large and specialized apertural
xenosomes on some specimens almost entirely obstructed
the aperture (Fig. 7). This feature was emphasized also
by Bonnet (1974) in the original description of the
species.
Ellipsopyxis lamottei Bonnet, 1974 (Figs. 10-12)
This rare species was found in two stations (St. 2, 3)
with a relatively small number of specimens. The morphology of the observed specimens in Thailand is similar
to the original description of the species based on the
material from Africa (Bonnet 1974). The morphometrical
characterizations of E. lamottei from Thailand are given
in Table 4.
Lamtopyxis cassagnaui Bonnet, 1977 (Figs. 13, 14)
Found in humid epiphytic and soil mosses (St. 3, 4).
The specimens observed by us differ from the original
description mainly in their larger shell dimensions
(Table 5). Bonnet (1977) indicated an average shell
diameter of 116.6 µm (specimens from Nepal) and
95.9 µm (specimens from Paraguay) and an average
height of the shell about 2/3 of the diameter (about
62-76 µm). The specimens from Thailand have an average shell diameter of 135.4 µm and an average shell height
of 90.4 µm (Table 5) and we accept that these differences
are within the limits of the ecological variation of the
species.
A characteristic feature of the population from Thailand is that all specimens have three highly flattened
teeth, which almost touch and fill up the pseudostome.
This fact confirms the hypothesis of Bonnet (1983) that
the species of the genus Lamptopyxis that occur in WestGondwanan and Central-Gondwanan regions (South
America and Africa) have three only lightly flattened
teeth. Furthermore, the vestibule of their pseudostome is
more open, whereas the species occurring in more southern oriental regions (Nepal, Thailand, Indonesia) have a
complicated vestibule with three highly flattened teeth,
some of which touch almost entirely.
REFERENCES
Bartoš E. (1963) Rhizopoden einiger Moosproben aus Java. Acta
Univ. Carol. 2: 119-190
Bonnet L. (1974) Nouveaux Thécamoebiens du sol (VII). Bull. Soc.
Hist. Nat Toulouse 110 (3/4): 283-290
Bonnet L. (1977) Nouveaux Thécamoebiens du sol (IX). Bull. Soc.
Hist. Nat. Toulouse 113 (1/2): 152-156
Bonnet L. (1981) Faunistique et biogéographie des Thécamoebiens.
VII. Thécamoebiens de quelques sols forestiers de Thailande.
Bull. Soc. Hist. Nat. Toulouse 117 (1-4): 245-262
Bonnet L. (1983) Intêret biogéographique et paléogéographique des
Thécamoebiens des sols. Ann. Stat. Biol. Bess-en-Chandesse,
Univ. Clermont-Ferrand 17: 298-334
Bonnet L. (1987) Faunistique et biogéographie des Thécamoebiens.
IX - Thécamoebiens de quelques sols forestiers de Thailande
(2ème partie). Bull. Soc. Hist. Nat. Toulouse 123: 115-121
Chibisova O. I. (1967) Testacea from some caves and karst reservoirs.
Zool. Zh. 46: 181-186 (in Russian with English summary)
Foissner W., Korganova G. A. (1995) Redescription of three testate
amoebae (Protozoa, Rhizopoda) from a Caucasian soil: Centropyxis
plagiostoma Bonnet & Thomas, Cyclopyxis kahli (Deflandre) and
C. intermedia Kufferath. Arch. Protistenkd. 146: 13-28
Golemansky V. (1974) La faune rhizopodique (Rhizopoda, Testacea)
du littoral et du benthal du lac Popovo dans la montagne de Pirine.
Bull. Inst. Zool. et Musee 40: 47-58 (in Bulgarian with French
summary)
Kufferath H. (1932) Rhizopodes du Congo. Revue Zool. Bot. Afr. 23:
52-60
Todorov M., V. Golemansky (1999) Planhoogenraadia bonneti
sp. n. and Centropyxis thailandica sp. n. (Rhizopoda: Testacea),
two new testaceans from Thailand. Acta Protozool. 38: 255-261
Received on 11th February, 2000; accepted on 27th July, 2000