Sessile Ciliates (Ciliophora) from Extreme Habitats

Abstract

The present article addresses an overview of different types of extreme habitats in which sessile ciliates were found. Ciliates were found in different extreme habitats (marine deep waters, hypersaline, caves, and subterranean waters). Authors registered 11 species of sessile ciliates in extreme environments: suctorians Corynophrya abyssalis in a hydrothermal vent field (4090 m depth), Thecacineta calix in the Andaman Sea (1301 m depth), Paracineta livadiana, C. lyngbyi and peritrichous ciliate Cothurnia maritima in hypoxic/anoxic conditions of the Black Sea (80-300 m depth), suctorian ciliates Tokophrya niphargi and Spelaeophrya troglocaridis and apostome ciliate Gymnodinioides sp. in cave and subterranean waters, as well as suctorians Acinetides infundibuliformis, Acineta harpacticicola and peritrichous ciliate C. maritima in hypersaline waters (salinity from 38 ‰ to 60 ‰). The possible adaptations of listed ciliates to extreme habitats are discussed. It is difficult to identify any morphological adaptations of these ciliate species to life in extreme conditions. There are the physiological adaptations to extreme factors in extremophile ciliates. Some morphological structures and breeding characteristics, which are presented in ciliates living in extreme environments, may be adaptations to such conditions in general

Keywords

• sessile ciliate
• extremophile
• environment conditions
• habitat