Balantidium honghuensis n. sp. (Ciliophora: Trichostomatidae) from the Rectum of Rana nigromaculata and R. limnocharis from Honghu Lake, China

Abstract

A new trichostome ciliate, Balantidium honghuensis n. sp., was isolated from the recta of Rana nigromaculata and R. limnocharis during parasite surveys in Honghu Lake, Hubei Province, central China in summer of 2010 and 2011. Its detailed morphometric characters based on LM and SEM studies were described herein. The organism is oval in shape and thickly ciliated. The vestibulum is "V" shaped and occupies about 1/3 to 2/5 of the body length. The vestibular and nearby regions possess strong peripheral fibers which form a marked axial fiber about the cytopharynx. More than 10 contractile vacuoles are distributed along the periphery of the latter body. Comparisions were made between this new species and B. sinensis Nie, 1935. They were discriminated from each other in terms of general body forms, body size, and vestibulum shapes. Besides, special attention was paid to its high-speed daughter swarmers which we believed to be the infective stage of B. honghuensis. Possible infection routes of anura amphibian balantidia were discussed.

Natural Feed Preference Fejervarya cancrivora L. and Fejervarya limnocharis L on the West Coast of Sumatra Island

“…From table 1, it can be seen that the types of animals eaten by the two frogs from three sampling points can be seen that the types of frogs F. canrivora and F. Limnocharis (25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34) both eat various types of food, the food that is available. in both of these frog species comes from the Hymenoptera order, where the percentage of this order is higher than other orders, reaching 42% of the total order eaten.…”

Balantidium grimi n. sp. (Ciliophora, Litostomatea), a new species inhabiting the rectum of the frog Quasipaa spinosa from Lishui, China

“…To date, 27 valid species have been reported in anuran amphibians, including B. amygdalli Bhatia & Gulati, 1927 [ 3 ], B. aurangabadensis Shete & Krishnamurthy, 1984 [ 34 ], B. bicavata Bhatia & Gulati, 1927 [ 3 ], B. claperedei Mahoon & Khan, 1986 [ 22 ], B. corlissi Shete & Krishnamurthy, 1984 [ 34 ], B. cyanophlycti Shete & Krishnamurthy, 1984 [ 34 ], B. duodeni Stein, 1867 [ 36 ], B. elongatum Stein, 1867 [ 36 ], B. entozoon Ehrenberg, 1838 [ 9 ], B. falciformis Walker, 1909 [ 40 ], B. ganapatii Shete & Krishnamurthy, 1984 [ 34 ], B. giganteum Bezzenberger, 1904 [ 2 ], B. gracile Bezzenberger, 1904 [ 2 ], B. helenae Bezzenberger, 1904 [ 2 ], B. honghuensis Li et al, 2013 [ 18 ], B. kirbyi Rodriguez, 1939 [ 31 ], B. megastomae Shete & Krishnamurthy, 1984 [ 34 ], B. mininucleatum Shete & Krishnamurthy, 1984 [ 34 ], B. ranae Shete & Krishnamurthy, 1984 [ 34 ], B. ranarum Ghosh, 1921 [ 10 ], B. rotundum Bezzenberger, 1904 [ 2 ], B. sinensis Nie, 1935 [ 24 ], B. singaporensis Khan & Ip, 1986 [ 16 ], B. sushilii Ray, 1932 [ 30 ], B. tigrinae Shete & Krishnamurthy, 1984 [ 34 ], B. vanensis Senler & Yildiz, 2000 [ 33 ] and B. xenopi Puytorac & Grain, 1965 [ 28 ]. Five other balantidial species were found in urodele amphibians, including B. amblystomatis Jírovec, 1930 [ 15 ], B. andianusis Li et al, 2008 [ 20 ], B. elongatum Stein, 1867 [ 36 ], B. rayi Pal & Dasgupta, 1978 [ 25 ] and B. tylototritonis Pal & Dasgupta, 1978 [ 25 ].…”

“…Among the aforementioned species, 3 balantidial species inhabiting amphibians were first discovered and named in China. B. andianusis was reported in the Chinese giant salamander, Andrias davidianus [ 20 ]; B. sinensis was described from 2 species of anuran amphibians and 1 urodele amphibian, R. nigromaculata , R. plancyi [ 24 ] and A. davidianus [ 20 ], respectively, and B. honghuensis was found in R. nigromaculata [ 18 ].…”

Phylogenomic analysis ofBalantidium ctenopharyngodoni(Ciliophora, Litostomatea) based on single-cell transcriptome sequencing

“…A large number of Balantidium species, thereafter, have been reported as endocommensals in the digestive tracts of both vertebrate and invertebrate hosts, especially fish and amphibians. At present, 19 fish-isolated species (13 freshwater species and 6 marine species) and 31 amphibian-isolated species (26 species from anura amphibians and 5 species from urodele amphibians) have been found [ 21 ].…”