Morphological Redescriptions and Molecular Phylogeny of Three Stentor Species (Ciliophora: Heterotrichea: Stentoridae) from Korea Author Taher, Md Abu Author Kabir, Ahmed Salahuddin Author Shazib, Shahed Uddin Ahmed Author Kim, Min Seok Author Shin, Mann Kyoon text Zootaxa 2020 2020-02-13 4732 3 435 452 journal article 24039 10.11646/zootaxa.4732.3.6 ea9ffdde-e6b1-4e98-a8aa-93c6a67591fe 1175-5326 3667262 76254E06-3555-4C8D-9B25-1DF8BD9C55ED Stentor tartari Murthy & Bai, 1974 ( Figs. 6–8 , Tables 1 , 2 ) Improved diagnosis. Body size 200–355 × 85–135 µm in vivo (on average 300 × 105 µm ), 250–700 × 70–135 µm when extended, about 200 × 160 µm after protargol impregnation. Body slender trumpet-shaped to conical when extended, irregular pinkish and colorless cortical granules scattered throughout whole body, symbiotic green algae present, contractile vacuole located in anterior 1/3 of body near left margin with a collecting canal, 8–13 peristomial kineties, 62–106 somatic ciliary rows, 1–4 (average 2) macronuclear nodules located at mid-body. 5–18 micronuclei located around macronuclear nodules. Locality and habitat. Small freshwater pond (0 psu), Cheongnyang-myeon, Ulju-gun, Ulsan , Korea (35°31′ 47°N , 129°13′ 41°E ). Voucher material. A protargol-stained slide with fixed specimens was deposited at the National Institute of Biological Resources ( NIBR ), Incheon , Korea , with registration number NIBRPR0000107178. The voucher specimens are marked by a black ink circles on the slide. FIGURE 6. Line diagrams of S . tartari from life (A–D) and after protargol impregnation (E, F). A. Ventral view of a representative specimen; B. Cortical granulation; C. Somatic cilia; D. Body shapes of freely motile and extended cells; E, F. Ventral and dorsal views of infraciliature; Arrowhead in (E) point to basal bodies of somatic cilia. AM, adoral membranelles; AZM, adoral zone of membranelles; CG, cortical granules; CV, contractile vacuole; MA, macronucleus; MI, micronuclei; PK, peristomial kinety; PM, paroral membrane; SC, somatic cilia; SK, somatic kinety. Scale bars: A= 100 μm, C=10 μm, E, F=50 μm. Description. The freely motile cell is inverted pear-shaped and size ranges, 200–355 × 85–135 µm (on average 300 × 105 µm ) in vivo ( Fig. 7A ). After extension, when cell relaxed, the body looks like trumpet-shaped and size ranges, 250–700 µm in length and 70–135 µm in width in the peristomial area. Specimens shrink considerably after protargol impregnation, i.e., 95–310 × 75–230 µm (on average 200 × 160 µm ) ( Fig. 8A ). Two types of cortical granules, colored and colorless, irregularly arranged between somatic kineties ( Fig. 7C, D ). The colored cortical granules appeared pinkish red, reddish, or brown red, round or oval-shaped 0.5–1 µm in diameter ( Fig. 7C, D ). Density of the colored cortical granules is higher in anterior than in mid to posterior parts of body ( Fig. 7A ). Colorless cortical granules are smaller than reddish granules; shape of colorless cortical granules is round to oval, 0.3–0.5 µm in diameter ( Fig. 7C ). Transparent cortex makes cytoplasmic organelles easily identifiable ( Fig. 7A, C, F ). Sixtytwo to 106 parallel somatic kineties composed of dikinetids longitudinally arranged parallel to antero-posterior axis of cell ( Fig. 6E, F , 7C , 8B ). Each somatic cilium is 6–12 µm long ( Fig. 7D ). Average gap between adjacent somatic kineties is 7 µm in vivo . Mitochondria (?)-like organelles distributed on pellicle slightly more densely packed near somatic kineties ( Fig. 7D , arrowhead). One contractile vacuole with a long collecting canal located left of the buccal cavity about 35 µm in diameter during diastole ( Fig. 6A , 7G ). Eight to 17 peristomial kineties were observed in peristomial region ( Fig. 6E , 7B , 8B ) and size of peristomial cilia was similar to the size of somatic cilia. Buccal pouch absent. Adoral zone of membranelles conspicuous consist of 110–180 membranelles ( Fig. 6E , 7B , 8B ). Adoral zone of membranelles surrounds the peristome and finally ends at the buccal cavity ( Fig. 7A , 8A ). The longest adoral membranelle, 12 µm long. The Paroral membrane is typical of the genus, consisted of a single and continuous row of thin cilia, 20–35 µm long ( Fig. 6E , 8B ). Nuclear apparatus comprised of 1–5 spherical macronuclear nodules (on average 2), about 20–35 µm in diameter in vivo, usually located at the mid-body, however the position of macronuclear nodules is not fixed ( Fig. 7A, F , 8A, C ). Five to 18 spherical micronuclei with a diameter of 1–2 µm in vivo adjacent to macronuclear nodules ( Fig. 7F , 8C ). Symbiotic algae, 2–4 µm in diameter in vivo , present throughout body giving it a dark to light green appearance ( Fig. 7A, E , 8A ). Food vacuoles are 5–30 µm in diameter; contain bacteria, diatoms as food ( Fig. 6A ). Lipid droplets 2–5 µm in diameter scattered throughout body. Holdfast organelle present at posterior end of cell ( Fig. 7E , inset: arrowhead); colored cortical granules densely packed in this region exhibiting a red appearance ( Fig. 7A ).