Pseudomonilicaryon japonicum Foissner, Agatha, 2002

Jung, Atef Omar and Jae-Ho, 2021, New record of 21 ciliate species (Protozoa, Ciliophora) from South Korea, Journal of Species Research 10 (3), pp. 301-320 : 311

13. Pseudomonilicaryon japonicum Foissner, Agatha and Berger, 2002 ( Fig. 13A -C )

Material examined. Terrestrial moss sample collected from Mungyeong Saejae Provincial Park, Mungyeong-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea (36°45 ʹ 57 ʺ N, 128°4 ʹ 29 ʺ E) on 29 March 2020 .

Diagnosis. Body size 200-250 × 50-60 μm after protargol impregnation (n = 3); body narrowly dileptid with narrow posterior end; macronucleus moniliform, composed of about 20-26 nodules; 2 rows of contractile vacuoles on ventral and dorsal side; ovate with posterior end distinctly broader than anterior; 2 shapes and sizes of cortical granules, type I narrowly ellipsoid, type II oblong; about 30-36 somatic ciliary rows.

Distribution. Japan, Venezuela, and Korea.

Remarks. The Korean Pseudomonilicaryon japonicum is very similar to the type population described by Foissner et al. (2002) but slightly differs in the smaller body size (200-250 × 50-60 μm vs. 239-544 × 46-93 μm after protargol impregnation) and the less number of somatic ciliary rows (33 vs. 39 on average) and macronuclear nodules (20-26 vs. 20-35) ( Foissner et al. 2002; Vd̓ačný and Foissner, 2012).

Voucher slides. Two slides with protargol-impregnated specimens were deposited at the Nakdonggang National

Institute of Biological Resources (NNIBRPR20126, NNI- BRPR20127).

Figures

Fig. 13. Photomicrographs of Pseudomonilicaryon japonicum (A-C) and Rimaleptus alpinus (D) from life (A, B) and after protargol impregnation (C, D). A, B. Left side views showing the body shape and the contractile vacuoles location. C. Left side view showing body shape, somatic ciliature and oral opening. D. left side showing body shape, ciliature, and nuclear apparatus. CV, contractile vacuoles; MA, macronuclear nodule; MI, micronucleus; OO, oral opening. Scale bars=50μm (A-C) and 30 μm (D).