protozoa as parasites

Franz Neidl · Post by **Franz Neidl** » Sun Aug 23, 2009 1:02 pm

Yesterday I had a big surprise: I found on a seawater bristleworm (polychaeta), which was 1250 µm long, several parasites - each 155 µm long.
I think this parasites are protozoa from the Suctoria.
I dont know the exact species.

Franz

bernhardinho · Post by **bernhardinho** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 2:09 pm

I think this parasites are protozoa from the Suctoria.

Hi Franz

hm; I don't know! One should see tentacles! I think these are epizooic peritrichs, may be Opercularia or something like that!

Bernhard

Franz Neidl · Post by **Franz Neidl** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 2:28 am

Hallo Bernhard,

thank you for your precious contribution to the discussion.
I am not a specialist about protozoa (I just like them), but I excluded the peritrich ciliates (Epistylis?) because I could not see any cilia.
In the book from Dieter Matthes, W. Guhl and G. Haider, Suctoria und Urceolariidae, Stuttgart 1888, p. 107-109 are drawings about forms of suctoria (Discophrya lichtensteinii) without any tentacles - very similar to those of my pictures.
Therefore I am waiting for other opinions not excluding that you are right.

Franz

bernhardinho · Post by **bernhardinho** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 3:31 am

Franz

that is interesting: I don't know that book, but it is listed in our local university library, so I shall have a look.

But also the Illustrated Guide to the Protozoa doesn't mention suctoria without tentacles. Apart from the swarmers of course. But these don't cling to worms! As you probably know, peritrichs don't have body ciliature. Only the peristome (mouth) does show cilia. And these are often being retracted. I think I can trace something like peristomes in your pics:

Until I see pics I don't believe in suctors with no tentacles. How should it feed and survive, by the way??

Cheers from Germany

Bernhard