Prey or parasite? The first observations of live Euglenida in the intestine of Gastrotricha

Euglenida are an important element in almost all aquatic ecosystems. They are known to parasitize animals such as copepods and flatworms, but have never been found in any other microscopic group. Gastrotrichs, a phylum of small microinvertebrates, are a constant and important element of marine and freshwater ecosystems. During our observation, 72 live gastrotrich specimens were collected from Europe (Poland, Germany) and South America (Brazil) containing active Euglenida of the genus Heteronema. Euglenida were found in the intestine of 10.4%, 52.6% and 1% of gastrotrichs, respectively. Taking into consideration the existing parasitism in euglenoids, it may be hypothesized that they either constitute fortuitous feed in the gastrotrich intestine or they are parasites or commensals. These observations suggest a new, so far unknown type of interaction between Gastrotricha and protists.