Morphology of four new solitary sessile peritrich ciliates from the Yellow Sea, China, with description of an unidentified species of Paravorticella (Ciliophora, Peritrichia)

Sessile peritrichs are a large assemblage of ciliates that have a wide distribution in soil, freshwater and marine waters. Here, we document four new and one unidentified species of solitary sessile peritrichs from aquaculture ponds and coastal waters of the northern Yellow Sea, China. Based on their living morphology, infraciliature and silverline system, four of the five forms were identified as new members belonging to one of three genera, Vorticella, Pseudovorticella and Scyphidia, representing two families, Vorticellidae and Scyphidiidae. The other isolate was found to be an unidentified species of the poorly known genus Paravorticella. Vorticella chiangi sp. nov. is characterized by its inverted bell-shaped zooid, short row 3 in infundibular polykinety 3 and marine habitat. Pseudovorticella liangae sp. nov. posseses a thin, broad peristomial lip and a granular pellicle. Pseudovorticella haiboensis sp. nov. is differentiated from its congeners by having an elongated zooid that is covered by a layer of thin pellicular vesicles, and two rows of kineties in infundibular polykinety 3. Scyphidia perezuzae sp. nov. and Paravorticella sp. are stalkless ectoparasites or ectocommensals of aquatic animals. The former has a short, plump body, a narrow peristomial lip and a conspicuous, flattened, disc-shaped scopula for adhesion. Paravorticella sp. has an extremely elongated clavate body, a broad peristomial lip, and a narrow scopula.