taxonID	type	description	language	source
03E1B34EFFF9FFEAE0AEF8E736D9F8A6.taxon	materials_examined	Morphology of live specimens: Colonies were dichotomously branched with alternate branches terminating approximately at the same level (Fig. 2). Neither the main stalk nor its branches were contractile. The main basal stalk was short, with a smooth surface, without protuberances or ridges. Primary branches were the longest in the colony, and similar in width to the main stalk with no difference found between collection sites (Table 1). Colonies had up to 100 zooids, but usually consisted of 10 – 20 zooids that were similar in size. Zooids were elongate and ranged from 105.0 to 187.5 µm in length and from 25.0 to 52.5 µm in width (Table 1, Fig. 2). When contracted, the zooid was transversely folded in the region near to the scopula (Fig. 3). The peristomial lip was wider than the body and folded transversally in the fully extended zooid (Fig. 4). It also presented a snout-like protuberance when the zooid was contracted (Fig. 3). The epistomial disk was highly elevated, and was ~ ¾ as wide as the peristomial lip. A single “ C-shaped ” macronucleus was observed in the oral half of the cell, lying transversely below the peristomial lip (Fig. 4). TABLE 2: Measurements of Protargol stained colonies of Epistylis plicatilis attached to Pomacea canaliculata from Lago Tarumã (T) and Eldorado do Sul (E) Southern Brazil. A total number of 10 zooids were measured for each character from each location. Character Locality Mean (µm) SD (µm) Mode CV (%) Range Total length of the body from epistomial disk to aboral end T 55.0 11.0 50.0 20.0 42.5 – 77.5 E 56.3 11.1 50.0 19.7 40.0 – 77.5 Width of the body at midpoint between oral and aboral ends T 42.0 3.5 40.0 8.5 37.5 – 50.0 E 42.8 5.0 42.5 11.5 37.5 – 55.0 Distance between trochal band and scopula T 9.4 2.4 7.5 25.5 7.5 – 12.5 E 10.5 2.7 12.5 26.1 7.5 – 12.5 Length of micronucleus T 8.9 1.3 10.0 15.0 7.5 – 10.0 E 9.3 1.2 10.0 13.1 7.5 – 10.0 Width of micronucleus T 7.9 0.9 7.5 12.0 7.5 – 10.0 E 8.2 1.2 7.5 14.8 7.5 – 10.0 Width of macronucleus at midpoint T 10.4 1.9 10.0 18.0 7.5 – 12.5 E 10.7 1.9 12.5 17.6 7.5 – 12.5 Width of basal stalk T 8.9 1.3 10.0 15.0 7.5 – 10.0 E 8.8 1.5 10.0 17.3 7.0 – 10.0 Number of zooids in the colony T 38.1 23.6 15.0 63.2 15.0 – 75.0 E 36.4 24.8 20.0 68.0 15.0 – 75.0 Morphology of stained specimens: Infraciliary and nuclear characteristics of E. plicatilis were easily recognized in protargol stained colonies. A total of 22 somatic myonemes extended from the scopula to the epistomial disk of the zooid (Fig. 5). In the trochal band, only one row of kinetosomes was present (Fig. 6). A spherical micronucleus was located close to the C-shaped macronucleus (Figs. 7 and 8). The oral infraciliature is typical of sessile peritrichs and presents an outer haplokinety and an inner polykinety (PK 1) that describes approximately 1 ½ turns around the peristomial disk before entering the infundibulum (Figs. 8 and 9 a). In addition to PK 1, the infundibular polykineties PK 2 and PK 3 were also identified (Figs. 8 and 9 b): PK 1 consisted of three rows of kinetosomes equal in length. PK 2 also presents three rows of kinetosomes equal in length that terminate at the adstomal curvature of PK 1; only a narrow gap existed between PK 1 and PK 2. PK 3 consists of three short rows of kinetosomes that lie in a right angle to PK 2 (Figs. 8 and 9 b). PK 3 terminates adstomally, close to the adstomal end of PK 2.	en	Utz, Laura R. P. (2007): First record of Epistylis plicatilis (Ciliophora: Peritrichia) attached to Pomacea canaliculata (Mollusca: Gastropoda) in Southern Brazil. Zootaxa 1454 (1): 49-57, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.1454.1.4, URL: https://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.1454.1.4
