Abstract
Epibiosis is an interaction between two organisms, and it can be a relationship with both positive and negative effects. Protozoa of the subclass Suctoria are common epibionts in freshwater environments. Their preference for attaching to other organisms reflects their biological needs, such as food availability and environmental conditions, as well as the anatomy of their hosts. The study area of this work was the lakes of Ingá Park located in Maringá, Paraná state, Brazil. Leeches were collected in August 2019, through an active search on aquatic vegetation, among submerged trunks and rocks. Subsequently, the specimens were sent to the laboratory. In the laboratory, they were fixed in 5% formaldehyde, and subsequently submitted to two procedures, in which permanent slides of the specimens stained by the hydrochloric carmine method were made and images were obtained by electronic scanning microscopy. For the identification and description of the leech species, morphological data, taxonomic characteristics, and the use of the identification key were obtained. The epibiont ciliated protozoa occurred in Antiga Santa Lake, associated with four specimens of the leech Helobdella adiastola. We report the first record of epibiosis among the protozoan epibiont ciliates (Ciliophora: Suctoria) associated with Helobdella adiastola in Brazil.
Keywords:
Leeches; Epibiosis; Freshwater; Protozoa; Taxonomy
HIGHLIGHTS
First record of epibiosis among protozoan ciliates (Ciliophora: Suctoria) associated with Helobdella adiastola in Brazil.
The genus Helobdella Blanchard 1896 is one of the most diverse in number of species within South America.
(Ciliophora: Suctoria) attached only to the nuchal scute structure, suggesting that this may be a suitable, and perhaps the only, site where epibionts can attach and settle on leeches
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