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The World of Protozoa, Rotifera, Nematoda and Oligochaeta

Kentrophoros

Kentrophoros Sauerbery, 1928

Homonym Centrophorus Kahl, 1931 (ref. ID; 2035)
Synonym Centrophorella Kahl, 1935 (ref. ID; 2035)

[ref. ID; 2035]
There is great confusion about the gender of Kentrophoros because Sauerbery (1928) did not fix it. Kentrophoros is composed of the ancient Greek words "kentron" (spine) and "phoros" (carrying). The termination "os" can take all genders, however, "phoros" is usually masculine (e.g., phosphoros, Christophoros), rarely feminine, but never neuter. Thus, the neuter termination used by Sauerbery (1928) for the type species, K. fasciolatum, is incorrect and must be emended to "fasciolatus". Later, the genus gender was considered either as neuter of feminine. (Carey 1992; Raikov 1971). However Kentrophoros must be treated as masculine according to article 30a (i) of the ICZM ("A genus-group name that is or ends in a noun of variable gender, masculine or feminine, is to be treated as masculine, irrespective of the gender of that noun..."). The situation of the species names was further complicated by Carey (1992), who introduced a number of mistakes when he combined the Centrophorella species with the legitimate name Kentrophoros. He used, for instance, "nomen novum" instead of "combinatio nova" to indicate the transfer. He thus cannot be considered as combining author because a nomen novum replaces a junior homonym, which was not the case. Foissner shall thus combine these species correctly and provide the correct names, dates, and authorships for all Kentrophoros species described. (ref. ID; 2035)
  1. Kentrophoros canalis Wright, 1982 (ref. ID; 2035)
  2. Kentrophoros fasciolatum Dragesco (ref. ID; 2117)
  3. Kentrophoros fasciolatum Sauerbrey, 1928 (ref. ID; 3119)
  4. Kentrophoros fasciolatus Sauerbrey, 1928 (ref. ID; 2035 nom. em.)
  5. Kentrophoros faurei (Dragesco, 1954) (ref. ID; 2035 nov. comb.)
    Basionym; Centrophorella faurei, incorrectly dated with 1953 by Carey (1992) (ref. ID; 2035)
  6. Kentrophoros fistulosum Faure-Fremient, 1950 (ref. ID; 2117)
  7. Kentrophoros fistulosus Faure-Fremient, 1950 (ref. ID; 2035 redescribed paper)
    Basionym; Centrophorella fistulosa (ref. ID; 2035)
  8. Kentrophoros flavum Raikov & Kovaleva (ref. ID; 2117)
  9. Kentrophoros flavus Raikov & Kovaleva, 1968 (ref. ID; 2035 nom. em.)
  10. Kentrophoros gracile Raikov (ref. ID; 2117)
  11. Kentrophoros gracilis Raikov, 1963 (ref. ID; 2035 nom. em.)
    Syn; Kentrophoros graciles = incorrect second spelling in Carey, 1992 (ref. ID; 2035)
  12. Kentrophoros grandis (Dragesco, 1954) (ref. ID; 2035 nov. comb.)
    Basionym; Centrophorella grandis (ref. ID; 2035)
  13. Kentrophoros lanceolatus Faure-Fremient, 1951 (ref. ID; 2035 nov. comb.)
    Basionym; Centrophorella lanceolata (ref. ID; 2035)
  14. Kentrophoros latus Raikov, 1962 (ref. ID; 2035 nom. em.)
  15. Kentrophoros longissimus (Dragesco, 1954) (ref. ID; 2035 nov. comb.)
    Basionym; Centrophorella longissima (ref. ID; 2035)
  16. Kentrophoros minutus (Dragesco, 1960) (ref. ID; 2035 nov. comb.)
    Basionym; Centrophorella minuta; species inquirenda (ref. ID; 2035)
  17. Kentrophoros ponticum Kovaleva (ref. ID; 2117)
  18. Kentrophoros ponticus Kovaleva, 1966 (ref. ID; 2035 nom. em.)
  19. Kentrophoros trichocystus (Dragesco, 1954) (ref. ID; 2035 nov. comb.)
    Basionym; Centrophorella trichocystus (ref. ID; 2035)
  20. Kentrophoros tubiformis Raikov & Kovaleva, 1966 (ref. ID; 2035, 2117)
  21. Kentrophoros uninucleatus Raikov, 1962 (ref. ID; 2035 nom. em.)

Kentrophoros fistulosus Faure-Fremient, 1950 (ref. ID; 2035 redescribed paper)

Basionym

Centrophorella fistulosa (ref. ID; 2035)

Descriptions

Very slender, filiform, length/width ratio highly variable, viz. 30:1-70:1 (n=10). Mid-body region in protargol slides and SEM preparations usually distinctly broader than in live specimens. Body only about 5 um thick, appears black, except for hyaline and narrowed ends, and flattened ribbon-like at low magnification (< x50) although tubularly involuted in central region. Blacking caused by dense lawn of sulphur bacteria having refractile granules inside. Black body portion tube-shaped with epibiontic bacteria lawn inside and ciliated right surface outside. Anterior body region more or less distinctly narrowed and with short rostrum, flattened up to 2:1, very hyaline and fragile, anterior and lateral margins slightly thickened. Posterior body portion (tail) very similar at anterior region, but narrow, less distinctly thickened at margins, and evenly rounded at end, which, however, becomes slightly club-shaped in disturbed and prepared specimens. 10-30 roundish to ellipsoid nuclear groups, each comprising and average 4 macronuclei and 2 micronuclei, are most common. Macronuclear nodules usually contain single, large chromocentre, easily mistaken as micronucleus if nuclear envelope is weakly stained. Cortex colourless, gelatinous and very flexible, distinctly striated by refractile granules extending between ciliary rows. Cytoplasm rather transparent, contains many 1x0.5 um sized granules, but lacks food and contractile vacuoles. Movement sluggish, winds worm-like between sand grains and glides slowly on petri dish bottom with rostrate end ahead; acontractile but often spiral and/or convoluted. Infraciliature composed of dikinetids throughout. Cilia 8-10 um long, rather stiff, on right surface arranged in equidistantly spaced, longitudinal rows most of which became shortened towards body ends, i.e. abut on left side kinety. Both basal bodies ciliated in anterior and posterior region of cell, posterior basal bodies barren in tubular body portion. Dikinetidal axes parallel to main body axis, except for obliquely oriented and more closely spaced dikinetids at anterior end. Oblique and anterior dorsal dikinetids with conspicuous fibres originating from anterior basal bodies, form basket-like structure right of cell median. Dikinetids also condensed at posterior end of cell, give rise to distinct tuft of slightly elongated caudal cilia and conspicuous bundles of fibres extending about 20 um into tail. At left side of ciliary rows a distinct, ribbon-like myoneme, at right a faintly stained postcilialy microtubule bundle. Left side with 2 kineties at margins of cell. Dikinetids of right kinety have the posterior basal body ciliated and an anteriorly extending (postciliary?) fibre associated with the anterior basal body; dikinetids of left kinety have anterior basal body ciliated and a posteriorly extending (postciliary?) fibre associated with the posterior basal body. This curious pattern can be reasonably explained if it is assumed that these kineties are in reality a single kinety curving around cell margins. (ref. ID; 2035)

Measurements

In vivo about 500-2000x20-30 um, difficult to measure because specimens were restless and largest individuals, probably up to 3 mm long. (ref. ID; 2035)