Ephelota gemmipara

Ephelota gemmipara (Hertwig, 1876)

(Fig. 2C)

Material examined: Two individuals on pelagic ostracods Cypridina dentata (Müller, 1906) from stations 16 and 18.

Brief Description: Suctorian ciliate without lorica, with a massive, less often rounded body, somewhat extended upwards, with a flattened apical surface. There are two types of tentacles (long hunting and short sucking), which are located on the apical surface of the body, while hunting tentacles are approximately equal in length with the height of the body. Macronucleus coronoid, in the form of a ring with the upper and lower processes. Stalk very long, dense, somewhat expanded upwards, often with small transverse folds, sometimes smooth.

Measurements from present find (in μm): (measurement taken from one individual) body length 76; body width 80; stalk length 214; stalk diameter 14; length of sucker tentacles 12–17; diameter 4; length of hunting tentacles 38–61.

Host and substrate specificity: Ubiquitous species, observed at inanimate substrates, algae, hydroids, bryozoans, etc. (Dovgal 2013).

This species was also found as epibiont on various copepods eg., Calanus finmarchicus (Gunnerus, 1765), Candacia armata (Boeck, 1872), Pleuromamma borealis (F. Dahl, 1893) and P. gracilis (Claus, 1863) (Rose 1924, Steuer 1928, Fernandez-Leborans & Tato-Porto 2000b). Santhakumari (1985) reported this species as epibiont on copepods Euchaeta marina (Prestandrea, 1833), Candacia tuberculata Wolfenden, 1905, Labidocera acuta (Dana, 1849) and Undinula vulgaris (Dana, 1849), other two copepods of genera Pontella and Labidocera (species name written wrongly) and commented that this suctorian was found infesting chiefly the postero-dorsal region of cephalothorax. Santhakumari (1986a) reported this as epibiont on the zoea of pea crab Porcellana sp.

It has been found as epibiont on ostracod Cypridina dentata (Müller, 1906) —Present report.

Distribution: North Sea, Mediterranean, Adriatic, White, Black Seas, the Sea of Azov, in the Gulf of Mexico, from the coasts of Japan and India (Dovgal 2013).

Remarks: In India, Ephelota gemmipara was reported earlier off Thootukodi (=Tuticorin), Kanyakumari (=Cape comorin), Karwar, Ratnagiri—Santhakumari (1985, 1986a). Ephelota gemmipara (Hertwig, 1876) is reported here for the first time as epibiont on planktonic marine ostracods from the Arabian Sea.