Records of Marine Interstitial Heterotrichida (Ciliata) from the Saudi Arabian Jubail Marine Wildlife Sanctuary in the Arabian Gulf PDF

Keywords

Fauna, Arabian Gulf, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Sediment samples were collected at low tide from various localities of Jubail Marine Wildlife Sanctuary in the Arabian Gulf during 1996-1997 for the study of the marine interstitial ciliate fauna of the Sanctuary. Nineteen species belonging to the order Heterotrich Ida were identified, eleven of these represent new records for the fauna of the Arabian Gulf and Saudi Arabia: Blepharisma seculum, B. hyalinum, Gruberia beninensis, Pseudo Blepharisma tenue, Spirostomum teres, Metopus contortus, Condylostoma acuta, C. longicaudata, C. tardum, Linostoma vorticella, and Stentor niger. The distribution and main taxonomic characters of each species were compared to those in similar habitats worldwide.