Three marine haptorid ciliates from northern China: Paraspathidium apofuscum n. sp., Trachelotractus entzi (Kahl, 1927) Foissner, 1997 and Apotrachelotractus variabialis Long, Song and Warren, 2009 (Protozoa, Ciliophora)

Abstract

Three haptorid ciliates, Paraspathidium apofuscum n. sp., Trachelotractus entzi (Kahl, 1927) Foissner, 1997 and Apotrachelotractus variabialis Long, Song and Warren, 2009, isolated from sandy beaches in Qingdao, China, were morphologically investigated using both in vivo observations and silver impregnation methods. The new species, P. apofuscum, is highly contractile and has a terminally-located contractile vacuole, approximately 40 somatic kineties, and a dikinetid perioral kinety that does not form a closed circle. Redescriptions of A. variabialis and T. entzi are also provided based on the Qingdao populations. © 2009 Taylor & Francis.