MARINE FLORA AND FAUNA OF THE 



NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES. 



Protozoa: Ciliophora 



ARTHUR C. BORROR' 



ABSTRACT 



This manual includes an introduction on the general biology, an illustrated key, an an- 

 notated systematic list, a selected bibliography, and an index to the marine ciliated Protozoa 

 of coastal and estuarine waters of New England. The key facilitates identification to family 

 of nonencysted, nondividing marine ciliates at any stage in the life cycle. 



INTRODUCTION 



This manual is a guide to the families of ma- 

 rine ciliated Protozoa of coastal and estuarine 

 waters of New England. It includes ciliates to 

 be encountered not only in areas of high salinity 

 but also in the upper reaches of estuaries where 

 the water is brackish. It is intended for use by 

 a broad audience, hence is artificial (order not 

 necessarily parallel to phylogenetic sequence) , 

 and is stripped of unnecessary technical terms. 

 The key facilitates identification to family of 

 nonencysted, 'nondividing marine ciliates at any 

 stage in the life cycle. 



Some families are omitted from this key be- 

 cause they are represented only by ciliates living 

 in fresh water or in soil. These include Actino- 

 bolinidae, Amphibothrellidae, Astylozoidae. Bur- 

 sariidae, Dendrocometidae, Discomorphellidae, 

 Glaucomidae, Marynidae, Microthoracidae, Oph- 

 rydiidae, Reichenowellidae, Spirozonidae, Trich- 

 ospiridae, and Urocentridae. Families that are 

 represented solely by ciliates endozoic in nonma- 

 rine hosts are also omitted. These include 

 Buetschiliidae, Clevelandellidae, Cyathodiniidae, 

 Gyrocorythidae, Isotrichidae, Maupasellidae, 

 Paraisotrichidae, Plagiotomidae, Pycnotrichi- 

 dae, and Thigmocomidae. 



' Department of Zoology. Spaulding Building Uni- 

 versity of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824. 



In general, the families recognized in the key 

 and genera included in each are those recognized 

 by Corliss (1961); numerous exceptions based 

 on more recent studies are noted in the Anno- 

 tated Systematic List. Each family and most 

 couplets are illustrated by line drawings. 



Since a few characteristics (i.e., presence or 

 absence of an undulating membrane) may be 

 difficult to observe, some families key out in two 

 different places. In such instances, the other 

 couplet in which the family is named is indi- 

 cated. When diff'erent genera within the same 

 family key out in diff'erent places, the family 

 name is followed by the words "in part." 



Members of the subphylum Ciliophora, usually 

 known as ciliates, are usually single celled with 

 membrane-bound nuclei. Branching colonies 

 occur in the Vorticellidae and Epistylididae 

 (Peritrichida) and in the Dendrosomatidae and 

 Ophryodendridae (Suctorida). Colonies in lin- 

 ear series occur in the Intoshellinidae, Hoplito- 

 phryidae, and Opalinopsidae. 



Most ciliates have two kinds of nuclei, that is, 

 with one to many micronuclei and one to many 

 macronuclei. However, members of the family 

 Stephanopogonidae have only one type of nu- 

 cleus. 



The micronucleus is usually diploid, less than 

 5 /xm in diameter, and usually visible only in 

 stained preparations. Ciliates in strains of some 

 species are amicronucleate. 



The macronucleus is usually hyperpolyploid 



