S. Cameron et al., First record of Cycloposthium edentatum Strelkow, 1928 from the black-striped wallaby, Macropus dorsalis, PARASIT RES, 86(2), 2000, pp. 158-162
The cycloposthiid ciliate Cycloposthium edentatum Strelkow 1928 is redescri
bed from the stomach content of the black-striped wallaby, Macropus dorsali
s (Cray) following protargol staining and light and electron microscopy. Th
is is the first record of a cycloposthiid ciliate occurring in a marsupial,
as all previous records have been restricted to eutherian herbivores, espe
cially equids. C. edentatum was found in 7 (39%) of IS black-striped wallab
ies examined, but not in any of 263 animals belonging to another 20 macropo
did species examined. C. edentatum is distinguished by the form of the macr
onucleus, the presence of a longitudinal pellicular groove, a broad posteri
or tail and pellicular patterning. C. edentatum specimens recovered from M,
dorsalis were smaller than those reported from horses, being up to 50% sho
rter and 42% thinner.