Paracineta saifulae ( Mereschkowsky, 1877 )

Chatterjee, Tapas, Dovgal, Igor, Vieira, Leandro M., Dutta, Arpita & Nanajkar, Mandar, 2020, Report of ciliate-bryozoan-crustacean hyperepibiosis on crab (Decapoda Brachyura) from west coast of India, Arabian Sea, Zootaxa 4890 (3), pp. 347-360 : 351-352

Paracineta saifulae ( Mereschkowsky, 1877)

( Fig. 3C, 3 D-1, 4 A, B)

Brief description: Marine, loricate suctorian with elongate, some asymmetric body, only the bottom half of which cover by stylotheca. The conical stylotheca grades into thin, long pseudostyle, which is 3–4 times the lorica length. The conical part of the stylotheca often have thickened walls, the peculiar bed for body forms as a result. Stylotheca surface crenulated with three to many transverse striations. Capitate tentacles sometimes retractile, evenly distributed at the anterior surface of body. Macronucleus spherical. There is one contractile vacuole.

Measurements (in μm, based on three individuals): Stylotheca length 20–56 (65 after Mereschkowsky 1877); stylotheca width 24–37 (up to 27 after Mereschkowsky 1877); pseudostyle length 59–269; pseudostyle diameter 3–5; body length 33–61; body width 23–26; macronucleus dimensions 11×16.

Remarks: This species was described under name Acineta saifulae by Mereschkowsky (1877) from Onega Bay of the White Sea near the Rem ( Russia) on the hydroid Opercularella grigoriewi (Mereschkowsky, 1878) . Curds (1987) synonymized A. saifulae with Acineta crenata Fraipont 1878 , a species independently described by Fraipont (1878) on the hydroid Campanula riavolubilis (Linnaeus, 1758) from Belgian coast of the Northern Sea near Ostend. On the basis that the name Acineta saifulae was published earlier (in 1877) than the name Acineta crenata (in 1878), Dovgal (2002) concluded that the Paracineta saifulae must be considered as senior synonym.

The species was also early mentioned by Collin (1912) under name Paracineta crenata , reported from French coast of the Mediterranean Sea near Sète on hydroid Leuckartia raoctona (Fleming, 1823) and polychaete Aphrodite aculeata Linnaeus, 1761 .

Paracineta saifulae was also reported in the Black Sea near Bulgarian coast and in Russian coast near Gelendzhik on artificial substrates (glass slides) ( Dovgal 2013).

The ciliate Paracineta saifulae was attached on stalk ( Fig. 3C ) as well on zooidal dilatations (3D-1) of Triticella pedicellata . This is the first record of this species from the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean.

Figures

FIGURE 3. A. Scar and septate condition in stalk of Triticella pedicellata old zooids; B. Origin of stalk of Triticella pedicellata; C. Epibiont Paracineta saifulae on stalk of Triticella pedicellata; D. Ciliate epibiont on Bryozoan zooidal dilatation—1. Paracineta saifulae; 2. Cothurnia ceramicola; E. Many ciliate Cothurnia ceramicola on stalk of Triticella pedicellata.