Vorticella pyriforme Stiller, 1939

Abibulaeva, Alie S. & Dovgal, Igor V., 2021, The first finding of sessile ciliates Vorticella pyriforme Stiller, 1939 and Zoothamnium sinense Song, 1991 (Ciliophora, Peritrichia) in the Black Sea, Ecologica Montenegrina 43, pp. 69-75 : 71

Vorticella pyriforme Stiller, 1939 ( Fig. 2 )

Synonym: V. intermissa Nenninger, 1948

Description (after Warren, 1986 with modifications). Zooid 69–92 µm long × 50–61 µm wide (45–70 µm long × 30–40 µm wide after Warren, 1986). Zooid inverted bell-shaped, with constriction beneath peristomial lip. Peristomial disc is elevated slightly. Contractile vacuole is located in upper part of the body under the peristomial disk. Macronucleus is poorly visible, but according to Warren, 1986 it is C-shaped and lies transversely across the center of zooid. Pellicular striations are not visible. Stalk length ranges from 190– 212 µm (according to Warren, 1986 stalk can be up to 400 µm in length).

Habitat. Freshwater or marine.

Localities. First mentioned by Stiller (1939). The latter author has described this species and mentioned the location: Helgoland archipelago in the Northern Sea ( Germany) ( Stiller, 1939). Later on, Nenninger (1948) described a V. intermissa Nenninger, 1948 from the vicinity of Erlangen ( Germany), a species which was synonymized with V. pyriforme by Warren (1986).

Substrates. Species found on green filamentous alga Cladophora sericea (Hudson) Kützing, 1843 , which in turn was attached to brown alga Cystoseira crinita (Desf.) Bory.

Dimensions are based on measurements of 7 samples (table 1).

Distribution of ciliates over the substrate: 1 to 3 individuals per 1 mm of algae thallus.

Figures

Figure 2. Vorticella pyriforme Stiller, 1939. A – modified from Warren, 1986, scale bar: 25 µm; B – original, in vivo, scale bar: 75 µm.