Ciliates from gills of marine fish simultaneously colonized with amphizoic amoebae

Abstract

Ciliates isolated from gills of marine fish (colonized simultaneously with amphizoic amoebae) were characterized on the basis of their morphology. A strain isolated from Psetta maxima Linnaeus, 1758 was assigned to the genus Uronema Dujardin, 1841. Another two strains, from Salmo salar Linnaues, 1758 and Balistes polylepis Steindachner, 1896, were assigned to Pseudocohnilembus Evans et Thompson, 1964. Repeated clonal procedures and long-lasting culturing proved that Cohnilembus reniformis (strain obtained from UK National Culture Collection) is a polymorphic species. New data were obtained on cell structure of ciliates under study: rows of tubules found in the close vicinity of mitochondria of the Uronema strain; structures slightly protruding on the surface of oral cilia of C. reniformis