Report of rotifer-ciliate-gastropod hyperepibiosis found on snail (Mollusca) from Goa, India

Abstract

Here we report a rotifer-ciliate-gastropod hyperepibiosis in freshwater canal, Goa, India. A rotifer Philodina cf. megalotrocha Ehrenberg, 1832 was found attached on the colony of Epistylis plicatilis Ehrenberg, 1838 which was epibiont on gastropod Pomacea bridgesi (Reeve, 1856) . This is first report of a member of Epistylis as an epibiont on Pomacea bridgesi.

Keywords

• Hyperepibiosis
• ciliates
• rotifer
• snail
• freshwater
• India