Sessile peritrichs (Ciliophora: Peritricha) from freshwater fish in the Transvaal, South Africa

Abstract

Sessile peritrichs (Ciliophora: Peritricha) were collected from freshwater fish in lakes, rivers, streams and fish-ponds in the Transvaal, South Africa Nine species of the genus Apiosoma Blanchard, 1885 are described, i.e. seven new species; A. caulata sp.n., A. curvinucleata sp.n, A. micralesti sp.n., A. mothlapitsis sp.n., A. obliqua sp.n., A. phiala sp.n. and A. viridis sp.n., and two known species; A. nasal is (Timofeev, 1962) and A. piscícola Blanchard, 1885. One new species of the genus Ambiphrya Baabe, 1952 is described, i.e. A. neobolae sp.n. A new sgenus, Scopulata gen.n. is proposed for species with a broad scopula and compact macronucleus. Two previously described Scyphidia species are incorporated in this genus, i.e. S. dermata (Viljoen & Van As, 1983) comb.n. and S. epibranchialis (Viljoen & Van As, 1983) comb.n., as well as a new species, S. constricta sp.n. Compendiums of all the known fish-associated species of these genera are provided.