Praethecacineta halacari Schultz, 1933

Sergeeva, Nelli G., Abibulaeva, Alie S. & Dovgal, Igor V., 2022, First finds of sessile ciliates (Ciliophora) in artificial and natural caverns on the Crimean coast of the Black Sea, Ecologica Montenegrina 52, pp. 33-41 : 38-40

3. Praethecacineta halacari Schultz, 1933 (fig.4, table 2)

Description. Marine loricate suctorian attached to marine Halacarida. Lorica surface smooth, without transverse folds. The body expands somewhat towards the point of attachment to the lorica. The body occupy the entire lorica size, partly protruding beyond its aperture. Tentacles are club-shaped, collected in one bundle on the upper surface of the body. After Dovgal (2013) spherical macronucleus located in the lower body, single contractile vacuole.

Measurements. Morphometric measurements of specimens of Praethecacineta halacari observed in the present study (based on 5 individuals, in μm): Lorica length 36–47, lorica width 25–27, lorica aperture diameter 22–27, body length 35–47, width 18–22, external stalk length 7–36, tentacles length 4–49.

Table 2 gives detail measurements of various parts found in each of 5 individuals.

Habitat and host specificity. This species is widespread. Originally described from Halacarida collected from Tromsø, Norway (type locality) ( Dovgal, 2013). Subsequently, it was repeatedly noted in the North, Black and Caspian Seas, off the Atlantic coast of Brazil ( Dovgal et al., 2008) and Canada, in the Pacific Ocean off the island of Taiwan, and also in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Tanzania ( Dovgal et al., 2009). In the Crimean water area of the Black Sea, it was first found on Copidognathus brachystomus Viets, 1940 off the coast of the Karadag Nature Reserve ( Boshko & Dovgal, 2004). Later found on the halacarid mite from the coast near the Cape Martyan nature reserve near the village of Nikita (the Black Sea) ( Gelmboldt & Dovgal, 2005). Hosts – Halacarida genera Copidognathus Trouessart, 1888 and Caspihalacarus Viets, 1928 ( Dovgal, 2013).

List of recorded P. halacari with geographical distributions and their host species is presented in the article ( Durucan & Boyaci, 2019).

Our material. Preparate ibss.Cil.1.v deposited in the collection IBSS RAS (Sevastopol).

Locality. In our samples this species is reported as numerous epibionts of Halacarida attached on all areas of its body (more 25 ind. on specimen mite) found from Black Sea Catherine Grotto (station № 3). Samples were collected at a depth of 4 m.

Acknowledgement

The study was conducted in the framework of the state assignments of the A.O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of RAS (№121040500247–0).