Description of the ciliates Cyclidium spp. (Scuticociliatida, Cyclidiidae) from four freshwater communities in Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt

Document Type : Original Article

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Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University

Abstract

The present study provides a detailed description of two morphologically different species of the genus Cyclidium, isolated from the freshwater of four water localities in Dakahlia Governorate (Demietta branch of the River Nile, Mansouria Canal, Bohia Canal and Bahr-Saghir Canal).The two Cyclidium spp. (sp.1 and sp.2) differs from each other in five characters. In Cyclidium sp.1, the undulating membrane is long and rectangular with a slightly broader base while that of Cyclidium sp.2 is nearly triangular with a rounded outer profile. The longitudinal somatic kineties of Cyclidium sp.1 are arranged in 8-10 rows while those of Cyclidium sp.2 are 12-14 rows. The macronucleus of Cyclidium sp.1 is relatively large and lies close to the posterior level of the undulating membrane, with the micronucleus attached to its anterior edge while that of Cyclidium sp. 2 is relatively smaller and lies in the posterior body region behind the level of the undulating membrane with the micronucleus attached to its posterior limit. The somatic cilia of Cyclidium sp.2 are longer and more numerous than those of Cyclidium sp.1. Moreover, the caudal cilium of Cyclidium sp.2 is considerably longer than that of Cyclidium sp.1. The recorded differences strongly suggest that they are interspecific and two different species of the genus Cyclidium are present.

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