Epibiontic associations between apostomid ciliates Conidophrys spp. and amphipods associated with fish farms fouling in the western Mediterranean Sea

Fish farms commonly support high abundances of invertebrates, especially amphipods, associated with fouling communities developed over nets, ropes and buoys. Protozoan epibiont ciliates of the genus Conidophrys were observed on three of the most abundant amphipod species collected from ropes of a fish farm in the western Mediterranean Sea. The amphipod species were Ericthonius punctatus that presented the epibiont Conidophrys pitelkae, and Jassa marmorata and Jassa slatteryi with the epibiont C. pilisuctor. The epibionts were found in numbers fluctuating between 1 and 119 individuals in Jassa spp. (median value = 8), higher than the number of epibionts found on E. punctatus that varied between 1 and 39 individuals (median value = 3). The epibiosis on Jassa spp. also showed prevalence values (34.33 %) superior to those of E. punctatus (24 %). Differential distribution of the epibiont species on the surface of basibionts was detected: Conidophrys pilisuctor were more frequently found on the head and gnathopods of Jassa spp., while C. pitelkae were mainly counted on the head of E. punctatus. This is the first time that Conidoprhys were found on these amphipod species

Thecacineta calix

Thecacineta calix (Schröderı 1907) = Acineta calix Schröderı 1907 = Acineta crenata Moebiusı 1888 = Paracineta crenata (Moebiusı 1888) = Paracineta moebiusi Kahlı 1934 = Thecacineta desmodorae Schulzı 1931 = Thecacineta donsi Allgénı 1935 = Thecacineta subantarctica Allgénı 1949 = Thecacineta paradesmodorae Allgénı 1949 = Thecaineta oblonga Allgénı 1955 = Thecacineta laophontis Jankowskiı 1981 Report as epibiont on nematodes The species was described of Schröder (1907) from an unidentified nematode collected near Kerguelen Islandsı Antarctica. Thenı Schulz (1931) reported T. calix as epibiont on the nematode Desmodora sp. from Island of Heard (Kerguelen Islands)ı Antarctica under the name Thecacineta desmodorae Schulzı 1931. Steiner (1931) (cf. Matthes 1956) reported T calix (that was misidentified as a tintinnid ciliate) as epibiont on the nematode Mastodex kerguelensis Steinerı 1921 (= Desmodora stateni Allgénı 1953) (presently Mastodex kerguelensis kept as taxon inquirendum) from the type locality. Allgén (1935) reported this species (as Thecacineta donsi Allgénı 1935) as an epibiont on the nematode Desmodora sp. from Tarvaı Norway. Allgén (1949) reported the epibiont Thecacineta calix on Desmodora campbelli (Allgénı 1932) (at present taxon inquirendum) from Tierra Del Fuego (= Feuerland) and Falkland Islands as Thecacineta subantarctica. T. calix was reported as Thecacineta paradesmodorae Allgénı 1949 from the nematode Croconema stateni Allgénı 1928 (= Desmodora stateni) in the Falkland Islands. Allgén (1955) reported the epibiont T. calix on Croconema stateni (= Desmodora stateni) from Tierra Del Fuego (= Feuerland) as Thecacineta oblonga Allgénı 1955. Susetiono (2006) reported this species as epibiont on Paradesmodora sp. in sediments of Siladeu and Nias islands (Indonesia) Ingole et al. (2010) reported Thecacineta calix as epibiont on the nematodes Croconema sphaerica (Kreisı 1928) (= Desmodora sphaerica Kreisı 1928) and Desmodora pontica (Filipjevı 1922) (at presentı invalid species)ı associated with a deep-sea hexactinellid sponge Pheronema sp.ı from the upper slope of the Northern Seamount located off Nicobar Island (Andaman & Nicobar Islands)ı the Indian Ocean at a water depth of 1301 m. Panigrahi et al. (2015) reported T. calix from the intertidal region of Tamil Nadu coastı India (Southwest Bay of Bengal) as epibiont on nematodes Desmodorella schulzi (Gerlachı 1950) (= Desmodora schulzi Gerlachı 1950) and Desmodora communis (Butschliı 1874). Ansari et al. (2017) reported this species on the nematodes Croconema cinctum Cobbı 1920 and Desmodorella tenuispiculum Allgénı 1928 from Suvadiva atoll in the Maldives at 61–62 m depth. Chatterjee et al. (2019b) reported T. calix on a nematode from Angria Bankı Arabian Sea. Other Hosts T. calix has been reported as an epibiont on several species of halacaridsı copepodsı etc.ı from the Atlanticı Pacificı Antarctic and Indian Oceans (Moebius 1888; Wailes 1943; Matthes 1956; Martínez-Murillo 1997; Fernandez-Leborans and Tato-Porto 2000b; Jankowski 2007; Dovgal et al. 2008a; Chatterjee et al. 2012 ı 2014 aı 2014 bı 2019bı 2020). This species is known from intertidal to deep-sea areas. Remarks Details of basibionts and localities are given in Chatterjee et al. (2019b).Published as part of Dovgal, Tapas Chatterjee ı Igor & Fernandez-Leborans, Gregorio, 2019, A checklist of suctorian epibiont ciliates (Ciliophora) found on meiobenthic marine nematodes, pp. 2133-2143 in Journal of Natural History 53 (33) on pages 2133-2143, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2019.1692085, http://zenodo.org/record/365482

Loricophrya mediterranea Fernandez-Leborans

Loricophrya mediterranea Fernandez-Leborans et al. ı 2017 Report as epibiont on nematodes Loricophrya mediterranea epibiont on Tricoma sp. was found in the Blanes submarine canyon (NW Mediterranean) ı 1227 –1450 m depth (Fernandez-Leborans et al. 2017). Remarks This species is recorded from deep sea.Published as part of Dovgal, Tapas Chatterjee ı Igor & Fernandez-Leborans, Gregorio, 2019, A checklist of suctorian epibiont ciliates (Ciliophora) found on meiobenthic marine nematodes, pp. 2133-2143 in Journal of Natural History 53 (33) on pages 2133-2143, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2019.1692085, http://zenodo.org/record/365482

Loricophrya sivertseni

Loricophrya sivertseni (Allgénı 1951) = Thecacineta sivertseni Allgénı 1951 = Lissacineta sivertseni (Allgénı 1951) Report as epibiont on nematodes This species was epizoic on the nematode worms from Tautra Island (Frostaı TrØndelagı Trondheimsfjord) Norway (Allgén 1951). Remarks Matthes (1956) transferred the T. sivertseni into the genus Loricophrya.Published as part of Dovgal, Tapas Chatterjee ı Igor & Fernandez-Leborans, Gregorio, 2019, A checklist of suctorian epibiont ciliates (Ciliophora) found on meiobenthic marine nematodes, pp. 2133-2143 in Journal of Natural History 53 (33) on pages 2133-2143, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2019.1692085, http://zenodo.org/record/365482

Loricophrya stresemanni

Loricophrya stresemanni (Allgénı 1951) Report as epibiont on nematodes The species was described (Allgén 1951) on nematode Spirina parasitifera (Bastianı 1865) collected near Tautra Island (Trondheimsfjordı Norway). Chatterjee et al. (2019a) reported this species from Miramar bayı Goaı west coast of India at the mouth region of Mandovi River mixing with Arabian Sea epibiont on nematodes of the family Desmodoridae. Remarks Hyperphoretic pseudocoloniesı which formed when swarmers settling on trophonts already attached to the host reported in this species by Chatterjee et al. (2019a).Published as part of Dovgal, Tapas Chatterjee ı Igor & Fernandez-Leborans, Gregorio, 2019, A checklist of suctorian epibiont ciliates (Ciliophora) found on meiobenthic marine nematodes, pp. 2133-2143 in Journal of Natural History 53 (33) on pages 2133-2143, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2019.1692085, http://zenodo.org/record/365482