TWO NEW MARINE SESSILE PERITRICHOUS CILIATES (PROTOZOA, CILIOPHORA)

The living morphology, infraciliature and silverline system of two new marine peritrichous ciliates, Zoothamnium nii sp. nov. and Z. wangi sp. nov. were investigated by living observation, protargol impregnation and silver nitrate methods. Z. nii can be recognized by: marine Zoothamnium with alternatively branched stalk; zooid in vivo about (70-80)μm × (40-50)μm with double-layered peristomial lip; one contractile vacuole apically located and macronucleus C-shaped; number of transverse rows from scopula to aboral trochal band 22-30 and from aboral trochal band to peristomial area 47-58; three ciliary rows in peniculus 3 closely spaced and parallel to each other. Because of the alternatively branching pattern and other extremely similar morphological features, two morphotypes, which were misidentified in previous reports, were combined with Z. nii: Z. duplicatum sensu Kahl, 1933 and Zoothanmium sp. sensu Kahl, 1935. Z. wangi is characterized by: marine Zoothamnium with alternatively branched stalk; zooids in vivo about (65-90)μm × (45-55)μm with single-layered peristomial lip; one contractile vacuole ventrally located, macronucleus J-shaped; number of transverse rows from scopula to aboral trochal band 38-50 and from aboral trochal band to peristomial area 70-85; peniculus 3 composed of two ciliary rows. Detailed descriptions of these two species are documented.