Morphology and Molecular Phylogeny of Fuscheriides baugilensis sp. nov. (Protozoa, Ciliophora, Haptorida) from South Korea

Abstract

The morphology and molecular phylogeny of a new haptorid ciliate, Fuscheriides baugilensis sp. nov., discovered in a temporary pond in South Korea, were investigated. The new species is characterized by its small body size (30–55 × 15–20 μm in vivo), oblong to rod-shaped extrusomes in the oral bulge and cytoplasm, 14–16 somatic kineties, two dorsal brush rows, and single subapical ciliary condensation. The phylogenetic analyses based on the 18S rRNA gene sequences show that the family Fuscheriidae is paraphyletic and the species belong to the genera Fuscheriides and Pseudofuscheria cluster together in the same subclade, while Fuscheria is in a different subclade, suggesting that the subapical ciliary condensation characterizing the two former genera has a higher taxonomic value than the shape of extrusomes for genera separation.