Ciliate protists from Cabiúnas Lagoon (Restinga de Jurubatiba, Macaé, Rio de Janeiro) with emphasis on water quality indicator species and description of Oxytricha marcili sp. n.

Abstract

We found 34 species of ciliate protists in the samples collected by the margins of Cabiúnas Lagoon during 2001. The ciliates were cultivated in the laboratory, where they were examined in vivo and identified through silver impregnation techniques. A new species, Oxytricha marcili (Ciliophora, Oxytrichidae), was found and characterized as follows: in vivo length about 60-80 microm x 30-40 microm wide; on average 22 adoral membranelles; 18 left marginal cirri; 18 right marginal cirri; and 3 small caudal cirri. All specimens analyzed presented 7 frontal cirri (3 anterior + 4 posterior), 1 buccal cirrus, 4 ventral cirri (3 postoral + 1 pre-transverse), and 5 transverse cirri. Among the species found, some are considered as water quality indicators ranging from alpha-mesosaprobity to polysaprobity and isosaprobity.

The influence of environmental characteristics on the distribution of ciliates (Protozoa, Ciliophora) in an urban stream of southeast Brazil

“…The original lists of indicator species has been revised and extended by various authors (Slade ek, 1973;Slade ek et al, 1981;Foissner, 1988, Foissner et al, 1995, who have added data on the water quality and revised taxonomic errors (Paiva and Silva-Neto, 2004 Figure 8 shows the presence of indicator species of alpha-mesosaprobic and polysaprobic environments at Stations 2 and 3 and the occurrence of an indicator species of an oligosaprobic environment only at Station 1. Among the eight species included in the saprobic system that occurred exclusively at Stations 2 and 3 (Table 1), only E. eurystomus is an indicator of an alpha-mesosaprobic environment.…”

Free-living protozoa (ciliophora, excavata and amoebozoa) in two water sources for human supply in the municipality of Blumenau, SC

“…and Loxodes sp. ciliates in P2 was unexpected since both species have a preference for environments with a lower concentration of dissolved oxygen and relationships with affected areas, including the occurrence of raw sewage from wastewater treatment plants (SIQUEIRA-CASTRO et al, 2016;SILVA -NETO, 2004). We hypothesize that even though it is an area with a higher degree of environmental preservation, some rural propertiesare located close to the collection site, with the possibility of pesticides and other compounds not analyzed in the study that may be modifying the biodiversity of species of free-living protozoa.…”

Protozoa ciliates community structure in urban streams and their environmental use as indicators

“…According to some studies, ciliates are efficient quality bioindicators of freshwater environments and can be used in biomonitoring of streams, lakes and reservoirs under different levels of anthropogenic impact (Paiva and Silva-Neto, 2004;Madoni, 2005;Dias et al, 2008). In this sense, these organisms have favorable characteristics, being a large group found in all aquatic environments (Zingel, 2005), with short life cycle and high reproduction rate, allowing the detection of environmental impacts in a short timescale (Groliére et al, 1990).…”