Morphology and morphogenesis of a new soil urostylid ciliate, with the establishment of a new genus Caudiurostyla gen. nov. (Ciliophora, Hypotrichia)

The living morphology, infraciliature and morphogenesis of a new urostylid ciliate, Caudiurostyla sinensis gen. nov., spec. nov., isolated from a soil habitat in China, was investigated. The new, monotypic genus is defined by having frontal cirri arranged in a bicorona, distinct transverse cirri, midventral pairs only, buccal cirrus, frontoterminal cirri, multiple marginal cirral rows that replicate independently via within row anlagen formation, more than three dorsal kineties, and caudal cirri. The main morphogenetic features of the new species are: (1) the posterior part of the parental adoral zone is renewed in situ; (2) the marginal cirral rows and dorsal kineties develop intrakinetally; (3) a caudal cirrus is formed at the posterior end of each dorsal kinety; and (4) macronuclear nodules fuse into a single mass during the middle stage. Based on the morphology and morphogenesis, the new genus differs from Pseudourostyla and Hemicycliostyla by presence of caudal cirri.