Abstract
Background: The taxonomic classification of the suborder Tintinnina Kofoid & Campbell, 1929, a species-rich group of planktonic ciliated protozoans with characteristic lorica, is very ambiguous for a long time largely due to the lack of cytological and molecular data for most species. Among the group, Tintinnopsis is the largest, most widespread, and most taxonomically complex genus with about 170 species occurring in nearshore waters. The highly polyphyletic status of this speciose genus has also been revealed by previous researches.Results: We here first documented the live morphology, infraciliature, and molecular data, as well habitat characteristics of three poorly known tintinnine species, viz. Tintinnopsis karajacensis Brandt, 1896, Tintinnopsis gracilis Kofoid & Campbell, 1929, and Tintinnopsis tocantinensis Kofoid & Campbell, 1929, isolated from the coastal waters of China. Based on revelation of the unique cytological feature (the elongated ciliary tuft with densely arranged kinetids in it) in the former two species, which is apparently different from all other Tintinnopsis forms, Antetintinnopsis gen. nov. is thus erected with T. karajacensis designated as the type species. Moreover, these two species are placed in a highly supported clade, which branches away from other Tintinnopsis (including type species, T. beroidea) clades, in the phylogenetic analyses based on SSU rDNA and LSU rDNA sequences, which thus justifies the establishment of the new genus. Meanwhile, two other new combinations were made for Tintinnopsis hemispiralis and T. subacuta.Conclusions: The molecular data adopted here resulted in a well-resolved phylogenetic inference that provided strong evidence that the cytological characters are of valuable taxonomic delimitation for Tintinnina. This study also contributes to the broadening of our understanding of the tintinnine biodiversity and evolution.
Allophlebia, A New Genus to Accomodate Phlebia Ludoviciana (Agaricomycetes, Polyporales)
