taxonID	type	description	language	source
03CA87CB4734FFE0FEA7D635FD09FE93.taxon	description	(Figures 1, 2; Table I) Diagnosis Marine Parallelostrombidium, in vivo about 70 × 60 mm; dorsoventrally flattened ca 2: 3; cell ellipsoidal in outline with conspicuous apical protrusion; on average 27 anterior and 17 ventral membranelles; two posteriorly directed thigmotactic membranelles; macronucleus broadly ellipsoidal; extrusomes ca 10 mm long, arranged along equatorial area; girdle and ventral kineties with 71 – 99 and 32 – 42 dikinetids, respectively. Etymology The specific epithet refers to the superficial similarity in body shape between this species and Strombidium latum. Type location Shrimp-culturing waters in Jiaozhou Bay off Qingdao (Tsingtao, 36 ° 08 9 N, 120 ° 43 9 E), China. Slide deposition One holotype slide (registration number 2005: 8: 24: 1) of protargol-impregnated specimens is deposited in the collection of the Natural History Museum, London, UK and two paratypes are deposited in the Laboratory of Protozoology, Ocean University of China (registration numbers 04: 04: 21: 01 and 04: 04: 21: 02). Description Size in vivo 55 – 80 × 50 – 65 mm, usually 70 × 60 mm. Cell ellipsoidal in shape with bluntly rounded posterior end; when viewed from ventral side, usually broadest in the equatorial area (Figures 1 A, 2 A). Slightly flattened dorsoventrally ca 2: 3 (Figures 1 B, 2 D). Collar region domed to form a conspicuous apical protrusion, 6 mm high (Figure 2 A, arrow), which may disappear or be undetectable after protargol impregnation. Buccal cavity relatively deep, extending obliquely towards right side of cell and terminating about onethird of the way down the cell (Figures 1 A, 2 A). Cell extremely fragile, highly sensitive to presence of cover-slip and easily bursts. Pellicle delicate with thin and transparent hemitheca that covers posterior half of cell (Figure 1 A), but no polygonal cortical platelets recognizable either in vivo or in silvered specimens. Cytoplasm colourless to greyish, containing many ingested algae (including diatoms) which often render cells opaque or dark when observed at lower magnifications (Figure 2 A). Extrusomes prominent and acicular-shaped, ca 10 mm long, evenly arranged in a single row at about the level of the hemitheca margin, but not in bundles (Figures 1 A, 2 E). Neither contractile vacuole nor cytopyge were detected. Single macronucleus broadly ellipsoidal in shape and centrally located, containing several large nucleoli each, 5 mm across (Figures 1 I, 2 H); no micronucleus detected. Locomotion with two patterns: moderately fast and irregular when swimming (Figure 1 E), or very fast when crawling on debris, using its two thigmotactic membranelles for attachment with ventral side facing down (Figure 1 F). Somatic ciliature as shown in Figures 1 and 2, consisting of one girdle kinety and one ventral kinety. Girdle kinety originates in mid-ventral region (to the left of the ventral kinety) and extends transversely across right ventral and dorsal sides, curves obliquely across left ventral side of cell and terminates at mid-caudal area (Figures 1 C, H, I, 2 G, I). On average there are 84 (71 – 99) widely spaced dikinetids. Within each dikinetid, the left basal body bears a short cilium about 2 mm long while the right is subtended by a conspicuous argentophilic fibre (Figure 2 G, I, arrows). Ventral kinety, which is composed of about 38 (32 – 42) densely arranged dikinetids, extends anteriad from posterior pole, parallel to the distal end of the girdle kinety and terminates at equatorial level (Figures 1 C, H, I, 2 I, double-arrowheads). Each dikinetid has a cilium (about 2 mm in length) associated with the anterior basal body. Girdle kinety and ventral kinety thus both with same orientation. No extra kinety detected. Oral apparatus occupies anterior end of cell, consisting of a short endoral membrane on inner wall of buccal lip and a membranellar zone (Figures 1 H, I, 2 I). Adoral zone of membranelles bipartite with an anterior portion of about 28 (26 – 30) membranelles and a ventral portion of about 17 (15 – 19) membranelles, all of which are composed of three kinety rows (Figure 1 D). Cilia of most anterior membranelles ca 20 mm in length, stretching anteriorly when swimming (Figure 1 A). Bases of anterior membranelles about 11 – 12 mm long. Anterior membranelles distinctly separated from ventral ones by the two thigmotactic membranelles, the bases of which are about 15 mm long (Figures 1 H, 2 I, arrowheads). Cilia of two thigmotactic membranelles about 30 – 35 mm long and always directed posteriorly like two tails (Figure 1 A, B, arrowheads). Bases of ventral membranelles about 7 – 8 mm in length, distinctly shorter than those of the thigmotactic membranelles. Endoral membrane extending to centre of protrusion, probably composed of monokinetids (Figure 1 H). Pharyngeal fibres not detected. Stomatogenesis Several stages in division were found which permit the reconstruction of the main stomatogenetic processes. Stomatogenesis commences with the apokinetal development of cuneate, longitudinally orientated basal bodies in a shallow depression underneath the ventral membranelles and to the left of the anterior end of the girdle kinety (Figure 2 C, arrows; J, arrowhead). While the oral primordium elongates posteriorly, membranelles differentiate from anterior to posterior (Figure 2 F, arrowhead) and the endoral membrane originates de novo. At the same time, new basal bodies are generated by intrakinetal proliferation (Figure 1 J, arrows). Simultaneously, the membranelles become ciliated. When the final number of membranelles is formed, the oral primordium moves to the left ventral side of cell. The oral primordium positions to the left of the anterior end of the girdle and ventral kinety and above the left portion of the girdle kinety (Figure 1 J). Comparison with related species To date, approximately 12 species of oligotrich ciliates with thigmotactic membranelles inhabiting marine biotopes have been reported: Omegastrombidium elegans (Florentin, 1901) Agatha, 2004; Spirostrombidium urceolare (Stein, 1867) Lei et al., 1999; Spirostrombidium cinctum (Kahl, 1932) Petz et al., 1995; Strombidium paracalkinsi (Lei et al., 1999) Agatha, 2004; Strombidium calkinsi Fauré-Fremiet, 1932; Strombidium clavellinae von Buddenbrock, 1922; Strombidium sauerbreyae sensu Fauré-Fremiet, 1950; Strombidium fourneleti Dragesco, 1960, Strombidium faurei Dragesco, 1960, Strombidium latum sensu Kahl, 1932, Strombidium latum sensu Fauré-Fremiet, 1950, and Parallelostrombidium paralatum (von Buddenbrock 1922; Fauré-Fremiet 1932, 1950; Kahl 1932; Dragesco 1960; Lei et al. 1999; Song et al. 2000; Xu and Song 2006; present study). The infraciliature of each of the first four species listed have recently been revealed (Lei et al. 1999; Song et al. 2000; Xu and Song 2006). Based on those data they belong to genera other than Parallelostrombidium and so can easily be distinguished from P. paralatum. Although the infraciliature of Strombidium calkinsi Fauré- Fremiet, 1932 still remains unknown, it can easily be separated from P. paralatum by the position of the thigmotactic membranelles (dorsal versus ventral). Fauré-Fremiet (1950) described two forms under the name Strombidium sauerbreyae, despite the fact that their morphology is quite different from that of the original (Sauerbrey 1928). Considering the general morphology (namely cell size and shape, presence of the two thigmotactic membranelles, locomotion pattern etc.), S. sauerbreyae sensu Fauré-Fremiet, 1950 bears a strong resemblance to Parallelostrombidium paralatum, but it can be differentiated from the latter by (1) arrangement of extrusomes (sparsely arranged in the ventral side versus evenly arranged at about the level of hemitheca margin), and (2) much lower number of anterior membranelles (ca 17 versus 26 – 30) and ventral membranelles (ca 15 versus 15 – 19) (Fauré-Fremiet 1950).	en	Xu, Dapeng, Song, Weibo, Warren, Alan (2006): Morphology and infraciliature of two new species of marine oligotrich ciliates (Ciliophora: Oligotrichida) from China. Journal of Natural History 40 (21 - 22): 1287-1299, DOI: 10.1080/00222930600913925, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00222930600913925
03CA87CB4734FFE0FEA7D635FD09FE93.taxon	description	Ontogenetic comparison Only early dividers were found in Parallelostrombidium paralatum, so comparisons between Parallelostrombidium and its congeners were based on stomatogenesis information. The position of the oral primordium of Parallelostrombidium is very similar to that of Novistrombidium, i. e. oral primordium originates above the left portion of the girdle kinety (Agatha 2003 a).	en	Xu, Dapeng, Song, Weibo, Warren, Alan (2006): Morphology and infraciliature of two new species of marine oligotrich ciliates (Ciliophora: Oligotrichida) from China. Journal of Natural History 40 (21 - 22): 1287-1299, DOI: 10.1080/00222930600913925, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00222930600913925
03CA87CB473EFFE2FE78D2E7FEC7FE02.taxon	description	(Figures 3, 4; Table I) Diagnosis Small marine Strombidium, 30 × 20 mm in vivo with truncated conical cell shape and conspicuous equatorial ridge; hemitheca covering the posterior one-quarter to one-third of the cell; dorsoventrally flattened ca 2: 3; about 21 anterior membranelles and six ventral membranelles; girdle kinety located in posterior one-quarter to one-third of the cell and has 25 – 27 dikinetids, while ventral kinety has 6 – 12 dikinetids; extrusomes ca 5 mm long, arranged along girdle kinety; single ellipsoidal macronucleus centrally positioned. Dedication We dedicate this new species to Dr David J. S. Montagnes, University of Liverpool, UK, for his great contribution to the taxonomy and ecology of planktonic ciliates. Type location	en	Xu, Dapeng, Song, Weibo, Warren, Alan (2006): Morphology and infraciliature of two new species of marine oligotrich ciliates (Ciliophora: Oligotrichida) from China. Journal of Natural History 40 (21 - 22): 1287-1299, DOI: 10.1080/00222930600913925, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00222930600913925
