Para depositar en Docta Complutense, identifícate con tu correo @ucm.es en el SSO institucional: Haz clic en el desplegable de INICIO DE SESIÓN situado en la parte superior derecha de la pantalla. Introduce tu correo electrónico y tu contraseña de la UCM y haz clic en el botón MI CUENTA UCM, no autenticación con contraseña.
 

A New Deep-Sea Suctorian-Nematode Epibiosis (Loricophrya-Tricoma) from the Blanes Submarine Canyon (NW Mediterranean)

Loading...
Thumbnail Image

Full text at PDC

Publication date

2017

Advisors (or tutors)

Editors

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Springer
Citations
Google Scholar

Citation

Abstract

During a pluri-disciplinary study carried out within the frame of the Spanish research project DOS MARES, multicore samples were collected along the Blanes submarine canyon and its adjacent open slope to study the structure and dynamics of the meiofaunal organisms, mainly nematodes. Among the 5808 nematode individuals identified, only 190 of them belonged to the genus Tricoma (Desmoscolecidae), and only two harboured epibiont suctorian ciliates. The three specimens were located near the tail of the basibionts. A careful examination of the ciliates revealed that they were suctorians, which are here described as a new species of Loricophrya, namely L. mediterranea sp. nov. The new species is characterized by having a conical, slightly elongated lorica, narrowing towards posterior end; an anterior end inward curved, surrounding the lorica opening; a body placed near the lorica opening, occupying 1/3 of the lorica length, 4– 8 capitate tentacles, and a peripheral, oval to sausage-shaped macronucleus. Our findings represent the first known report of an association with a deep-sea species of Tricoma, and the first record in the Mediterranean Sea, for a species of Loricophrya. The significance of the relationships between suctorian ciliates and their host in extreme environments such as deep-sea submarine canyons is discussed.

Research Projects

Organizational Units

Journal Issue

Description

UCM subjects

Unesco subjects

Keywords

Collections