New records for associations between peritrich protozoan ciliates (Ciliophora, Sessilida) and polychaete worms (Annelida) from off the southeastern coast of India

Abstract

We report herein three epibiotic associations between peritrich ciliate protozoans and polychaete worms, as observed in Tamilnadu, southeastern coast of India. Epibiont ciliates Epistylis sp.1 were found all over the integument of individuals of the terebellid polychaete Terebella sp., collected from Vellar estuary. Epistylis sp.2 ciliates were observed attached to Namalycastis abiuma polychaetes, on both sides of parapodia. Cothurnia sp. ciliates were found on anterior most paleae and hooks of Sabellaria sp. polychaetes, both latter associations from material from the Uppanar estuary. Those epibiont/basibiont associations are all new to science and discussed herein, together with a review on the previous reports of epibiont ciliate protozoans in Indian waters.