Observations on Pyxidium tardigradum (Ciliophora), a protozoan living on Eutardigrada: infestation, morphology and feeding behaviour

Pyxidium tardigradum is a protozoan that has been reported on a few occasions as an epizoan symphoriont living on eutardigrades. We report here the first records of this species from Kirghizia (the first Asian record), Poland and Portugal. The Portuguese population revealed the largest P. tardigradu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Parasitology research (1987) 2008-11, Vol.103 (6), p.1323-1331
Main Authors: Vicente, Filipe, Michalczyk, Łukasz, Kaczmarek, Łukasz, Boavida, Maria-José
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Behavior, Animal
Biological and medical sciences
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Biomedicine
Ciliophora - growth & development
Ciliophora - physiology
Ciliophora - ultrastructure
Feeding Behavior
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
General aspects
General aspects and techniques. Study of several systematic groups. Models
Host-Parasite Interactions
Immunology
Invertebrates
Invertebrates - parasitology
Medical Microbiology
Microbiology
Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
Original Paper
Protozoa
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Summary:Pyxidium tardigradum is a protozoan that has been reported on a few occasions as an epizoan symphoriont living on eutardigrades. We report here the first records of this species from Kirghizia (the first Asian record), Poland and Portugal. The Portuguese population revealed the largest P. tardigradum infestation ever described in terms of both the whole tardigrade population, with 60% affected animals, as well as a single host, with 35 attached protozoan. The first ever Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) photomicrographs and pictures of live P. tardigradum are also given. No considerable ultrastructural variability was detected within or between the populations, suggesting that P. tardigradum may be a true cosmopolitan species. Given that the ciliate imposed significant extra volumes on infested tardigrades (from 1% to as much as 136%), we also discuss possible negative effects of the protozoan on the fitness of the host and suggest that P. tardigradum should probably be considered as a eutardigrade parasite. Furthermore, some hypotheses about the life history strategies of the ciliate are proposed.
ISSN:0932-0113
1432-1955
DOI:10.1007/s00436-008-1136-8