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The World of Protozoa, Rotifera, Nematoda and Oligochaeta

Apiosoma

Apiosoma Blanchard, 1885 (ref. ID; 1555, 2014)

Class Oligohymenophora: Subclass Peritricha: Order Peritrichida: Suborder Sessilina (ref. ID; 2014)

[ref. ID; 1555]
Type species; Apiosoma piscicola Blanchard, 1885 (ref. ID; 1555)

[ref. ID; 2014]
Solitary. Inverted bell-shaped body attached to the skin of fish or amphibia by means of a scopula. Usually without a stalk but in some species there is a very short non-contractile stalk present. The possession of a conical or heart-shaped macronucleus, which is commonly situated in the posterior body half, is the major generic taxonomic feature. Most easily confused with Scyphidia which also occurs on fishes and has either a rounded or elongate macronucleus. Those species with a short stalk could be mistaken for Rhabdostyla in which a conical macronucleus is absent. The possession of a stalk by some species places the genus in the family Epistylidae rather than in the Scyphididiae.
Quote; Colin R. Curds, Michael A. Gates and David McL. Roberts "British and other freshwater ciliated protozoa Part II Ciliophora: Oligohymenophora and Polyhymenophora" Cambridge University Press, 1983 (ref. ID; 2014)
  1. Apiosoma amoeba (ref. ID; 3689)
  2. Apiosoma filiformis (ref. ID; 3689)
  3. Apiosoma piscicola Blanchard, 1885 (ref. ID; 1555) reported author and year? (ref. ID; 3689)
  4. Apiosoma tintinnabulum (Kent) (ref. ID; 3698)