RT Journal Article
T1 Taxonomy, geographic distribution and molecular phylogeny of two freshwater Frontonia (Ciliophora, Peniculida), including a new cryptic species Frontonia paraleucas sp. nov.
A1 Shi, Runzhi
A1 Li, Tao
A1 Chi, Yong
A1 Liu, Mingjian
A1 Al-Farraj, Saleh A.
A1 Pérez Uz, María Blanca
A1 Song, Weibo
AB The ciliate genus Frontonia, one of the most species-rich groups of the order Peniculida, is widely distributed across a variety of habitats. However, the definition and identification of isolates are challenging, as there are few reliable characters, and these may overlap among congeners. In the present study, we describe two easily confused species, including a new form F. paraleucas sp. nov. and F. paramagna Chen et al., 2014. Both species exhibit morphological characteristics similar to those observed in F. leucas (Ehrenberg, 1833) Ehrenberg, 1838, the type species of the genus. Furthermore, the substantial divergence of sequences among different isolates under the name of F. leucas, indicates the existence of cryptic or misidentified material and that such sequences represent a complex group rather than a single species. A meticulous examination was conducted to ascertain the reliability of the SSU rRNA gene sequences of isolates designated as F. leucas and F. paramagna in GenBank, and it was confirmed that the sequence (AM072622) represented the authentic F. leucas. The newly described species, F. paraleucas sp. nov., along with F. leucas and F. cf. leucas, constitute the F. leucas species complex. Analysis of the geographic distribution of these taxa, combined with historical records, reveals an uneven global pattern. This study emphasizes the importance of integrating molecular and morphological data to accurately identify species, and provides new insights into cryptic diversity and classification within the genus Frontonia.
PB Elsevier
SN 1434-4610
YR 2025
FD 2025-09
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/124422
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/124422
LA eng
NO Shi, R., Li, T., Chi, Y., Liu, M., Al-Farraj, S. A., Pérez-Uz, B., & Song, W. (2025). Taxonomy, geographic distribution and molecular phylogeny of two freshwater Frontonia (Ciliophora, Peniculida), including a new cryptic species Frontonia paraleucas sp. nov. Protist, 178. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PROTIS.2025.126119
NO This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Project number: 32100404), the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (Project number: ZR2021QC045), and the Ongoing Research Funding program (ORF-2025-7), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
NO National Nature Science Foundation (China)
NO Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province
NO King Saud University
DS Docta Complutense
RD 31 dic 2025