Abstract:
The morphology and molecular phylogeny of freshwater pleurostomatid ciliates are insufficiently explored. In the present study, we investigated three new
Amphileptus species discovered in Lake Weishan and its vicinity, northern China, using standard alpha-taxonomic methods.
Amphileptus paracarchesii sp. nov. is characterized by a lateral fossa (groove) in the posterior body portion, four macronuclear nodules, contractile vacuoles distributed along the dorsal margin, and 4–6 left and 44–50 right somatic kineties.
Amphileptus pilosus sp. nov. differs from congeners by having 4–14 macronuclear nodules, numerous contractile vacuoles scattered throughout the cytoplasm, and 22–31 left and 35–42 right somatic kineties.
Amphileptus orientalis sp. nov. is characterized by two ellipsoidal macronuclear nodules, three ventral contractile vacuoles, and about four left and 31–35 right somatic kineties. Phylogenetic analyses of nuclear small subunit ribosomal DNA (SSU rDNA) sequences indicate that the family Amphileptidae might be monophyletic while the genus
Amphileptus is paraphyletic, as
Pseudoamphileptus macrostoma robustly groups with
Amphileptus sp. Although deep phylogenetic relationships of amphileptids are poorly resolved, multiple well-delimited species groups are recognizable within the genus
Amphileptus.