Ciliates (Protozoa) from dried sediments of a temporary pond from Argentina

Abstract

Temporary ponds represent special environments that are inhabited by organisms adapted to changingenvironmental conditions. Ciliates are able to survive complete loss of water in these transient habitats through cyst formation. However, ciliates from the Neotropical region in general have been poorly studied with modern techniques. The main goal of this study is to describe the ciliates in dried sediments of a temporary pond from Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, through sampling efforts that were performed 2003-2005. Soil samples were obtained during drought phases and rewetted in laboratory to establish raw and enriched cultures. Ciliates were then studied both in vivo and after impregnation with protargol. In this study, we present 4 new records for Argentina (Gonostomum affine (Stein, 1859) Sterki, 1878, Stylonychia bifaria (Stokes, 1887) Berger, 1999, Pleurotricha lanceolata (Ehrenberg, 1835) Stein, 1859, Meseres corlissi Petz and Foissner, 1992), 1 for South America (Blepharisma americanum (Suzuki, 1954) Hirshfi eld, Isquith and Bhandary, 1965), and 2 for the Neotropical Realm (Gonostomum strenuum (Engelmann, 1862) Sterki, 1878, Stylonychia lemnae Ammermann and Schlegel, 1983).