Redescriptions of three tintinnid ciliates, Tintinnopsis tocantinensis, T. radix, and T. cylindrica (Ciliophora, Spirotrichea), from coastal waters off China

In the present study the morphology and ciliary pattern of three marine tintinnid ciliates, namely Tintinnopsis tocantinensisKofoid and Campbell, 1929, Tintinnopsis radix (Imhof, 1886) Brandt, 1907, and Tintinnopsis cylindricaDaday, 1887, isolated from Chinese coastal waters off Shenzhen and Qingdao, respectively, were investigated using living observation and silver impregnation methods. Detailed ciliary patterns of T. tocantinensis and T. radix are reported here for the first time, comprising a ventral, dorsal, and posterior kinety as well as a right, left, and lateral ciliary field. Furthermore, based on previous and present investigations, redescriptions for all three species and improved diagnoses for T. tocantinensis and T. radix are supplied.