Morphology, ultrastructure, molecular phylogeny, and autecology of Euplotes elegans Kahl, 1932 (Hypotrichida; Euplotidae) isolated from the anoxic Mariager Fjord, Denmark.

The morphology, autecology, and molecular phylogeny of an euryhaline Euplotes isolate collected from the anoxic water column of the Mariager Fjord in Denmark were investigated. The isolate matches the original description of Euplotes elegans Kahl, 1932 very well. However, its dorsal silverline system is clearly distinct from the redescription of this species by Tuffrau. Thus, a neotypification is proposed for E. elegans Kahl, 1932. The oval-shaped cell has a mean size of 107 x 51 microm and is characterized by 9.4 dorsolateral kineties, seven prominent dorsal ridges, large elongated ampullae, which encircle the dorsal kinetids, 18 kinetids in the middorsal row, nine frontoventral cirri, five transversal cirri, and three caudal cirri (two right caudal cirri and one left marginal cirrus). The dorsal silverline system is of the double type with the narrow polygons located on the right side of the dorsal kinetids. The ecological tolerances of this species to pH, salinity, temperature, and oxygen match the ambient environmental conditions of the sampling site. Molecular phylogeny was studied using small subunit rRNA (SSU rRNA) gene sequences. The molecular data cluster E. elegans with Euplotes raikovi, a member of the Euplotopsis group. The data suggest that the E. elegans-E. raikovi clade represents an isolated and deep branch at the base of the Euplotes tree.