A checklist of ciliates (Ciliophora) inhabiting on cnidarians.

ABSTRACT

A compilation of the ciliate epibiont species (Ciliophora) found on marine and fresh water cnidarians has been carried out based on published records. The checklist includes the taxonomic position of each species of epibiontic ciliate, the species of basibiont cnidarians, the geographic zones and the bibliographic references where they were recorded. Cnidarians, especially colonial sessile forms, represent suitable substrates for numerous sessile and vagile ciliates. Altogether 79 ciliate species belong to five classes viz. Spirotrichea, Heterotrichea, Phyllopharingea, Suctorea and Oligohymenophorea were listed. The most diverce as epibions on cnidarians are representatives of Suctorea with 41 species and Peritrichia (under the class Oligohymenophorea) with 25 species. Three species belong to class Spirotrichea, four Heterotrichea and one Phyllopharingea. Among the other representatives (except Peritrichia) of class Oligohymenophorea, four species belong to subclass Scutucociliatia, one species each in subclass Hymenostomatia and Apostomatia. One suctorian species Ophryodendron abietinum and two species of peritrichs, Cothurnia cordylophora and Rhabdostyla sertularium one Heterotrichea Halofolliculina corallasia and one Scutucociliatia Philaster guamensis are likely specific to cnidarian hosts only.