LWOFFIA CILIFERA GEN. NOV., SP. NOV., A CILIATED MEMBER OF THE FAMILY SPHENOPHRYIDAE (HOLOTRICHA: THIGMOTRICHA)

¹ Lewis and Clark College, Portland, Oregon

To the existing genera of sphenophryid ciliates (Sphenophrya, Pelecyophrya, and Gargarius) described by Chatton and Lwoff, a new genus, Lwoffia, is added. The genotype, L. cilifera, was found on the gills of Brachidontes recurvus near Fort Myers, Florida. Functional cilia persist throughout the life history of L. cilifera, and are disposed in two systems on either side of the body, in much the same way as the rows of infraciliature in Pelecyophrya tapetis. The attachment surface is proportionately more extensive than that of P. tapetis, and in form is much like that of species of Sphenophrya. Division produces equal and fully-differentiated ciliates, rather than an ancistrocomid-like embryo from the parent ciliate, and in this respect is similar to division in Gargarius gargarius.