Eleven New Ciliate Species of the Genus Triplumaria (Ciliophora, Entodiniomorphida) from Asian Elephant, Elephas maximus and African Elephant, Loxodonta africana

Abstract

Intestinal ciliate compositions in fecal samples from zoo-kept Asian and African elephants were examined. As a result, eleven new species belonging to the genus Triplumaria were recognized. Four of the new species possess both honeycomb-like thick skeletal plates and broad linear skeletons, like T.hamertonii Hoare, 1937 and T. selenica Latteur et al., 1970 known up to this time, and resemble the latter species in anterior location of micronuclei. However, T. longinucleata n. sp. and T. nucleocaudata n. sp possess long macronuclei, with posterior ends curved ventrally or straight and extending into the tail lobe, respectively; T. asiatica n. sp. has two bulb-like and one cylindrical caudalia; and hill-like caudalia of T. heterofasciculata n. sp. are clearly characteristic in size. Six new species possess thin light skeletal plate and slender linear skeleton showing vertebra-like structure, respectively; T. antis n. sp. is small in body size and has a micronucleus in the center of macronucleus, whereas the other species have micronuclei located anteriorly; T. doliiformis n. sp. is characterized by anteriorly hooked macronucleus; T. acuticaudata n. sp. has a triangular tail lobe; T. dvoinosi n. sp. possesses antero-dorsal and ventral caudalia directed up and downward. Antero-dorsal caudalium of T. ovina n. sp. and ventral caudalium of T. irregularis n. sp. are shifted upward and to the left, respectively. The other new species, T. poljanskii n. sp. is characterized by a combination of heavy honeycomb-like skeletal plate and vertebra-like linear skeleton as well as posterior location of the micronucleus.