Fmc. Gilchrist et al., 5 NEW SPECIES OF TRICHOSTOMATIDA (CILIATED PROTOZOA) FROM THE COLON OF WILD AFRICAN RHINOCEROSES, Systematic parasitology, 28(3), 1994, pp. 187-196
Five new species of Charonina Strand, 1928 were revealed, in addition
to 41 species of 20 other apparent genera, in a survey of ciliated int
estinal protozoan endocommensals of both black and white wild African
rhinoceroses. Charonina species infected the ventral and dorsal region
of the ascending colon, where the average total protozoan populations
(x 10(3)/ml digesta fluid) were 100 and 80, respectively, in the whit
e and 270 and 260, respectively, in the black rhinoceroses. Charonina
species constituted up to 50% in the ventral and 25% in the dorsal pop
ulations. Measurements in micrometres and specific characteristics of
the five species are: C. odontophora n. sp. length 70 +/- 5.7, width 3
2 +/- 7.2, dorso-ventral thickness 7 +/- 1.1, slender ovate-lanceolate
-shaped body with frontal lobe and prong-like protrusion in oral-openi
ng; C. tortuosa n. sp. length 87 +/- 9.3, width 42 +/- 5.3, dorso-vent
ral thickness 15 +/- 2.7, body-shape ovate-lanceolate without frontal
lobe, oral-opening with longitudinal ridge, cytopharyngeal canal with
sharp bend after emerging from oral-opening; C. dicerotis n. sp. lengt
h 67 +/- 8.6, width 37 +/- 4.0, dorso-ventral thickness 12 +/- 2.2, bo
dy-shape ovate-lanceolate without frontal lobe, oral-opening without r
idge, cytopharyngeal canal curved without sharp bend; C. tenuis n. sp.
length 56 +/- 10.0, width 16 +/- 4.1 at anterior end and 10 +/- 2.7 a
t posterior end, dorso-ventral thickness 7 +/- 1.2 at anterior end and
5 +/- 1.1 at posterior end, body-shape cone-like with longitudinal st
riations and frontal lobe; C. tetragona n. sp. length 58 +/- 4.7, widt
h 26 +/- 3.2, dorso-ventral thickness 12 +/- 1.8, body-shape rectangul
ar with frontal lobe and caudal flaps. The length, width and dorso-ven
tral thickness of the five species are on average in the approximate r
atio of 6:3:1, thus showing them to be dorso-ventrally compressed. The
body conformation of C. tetragona n. sp. closely resembles that of Di
desmis quadrata Fiorentini, 1980, but is distinguished from the latter
by the absence of a concrement vacuole and the presence of an elongat
e cytopharyngeal canal.