Hines Hunter N, McCarthy Peter J, Esteban Genoveva F
Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Bournemouth University, Poole, Dorset, BH12 5BB, UK.
Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University, Fort Pierce, FL, 34946, USA.
Microb Ecol. 2016 Jan;71(1):5-8. doi: 10.1007/s00248-015-0656-x. Epub 2015 Aug 19.
As the foundations of food webs, protozoa are essential to the success of an ecological system. These organisms are often overlooked, and research in the Americas is sparse. Recent samplings conducted in freshwater canals and ponds in Florida, USA, have revealed Loxodes rex, an alleged endemic ciliate species. Originally described as endemic to tropical Africa, L. rex has been considered a prime candidate for proof of microbial endemism. Our studies have shown this giant, non-encysting ciliate to be thriving in subtropical Florida. Our observations are novel and include both the first record of occurrence for the Americas and the first high-quality in vivo images for this charismatic species.
作为食物网的基础，原生动物对于生态系统的成功至关重要。这些生物常常被忽视，并且在美洲的研究也很少。最近在美国佛罗里达州的淡水运河和池塘进行的采样发现了一种所谓的地方性纤毛虫物种——大洛氏虫。大洛氏虫最初被描述为热带非洲特有物种，一直被视为微生物地方性的有力证据候选者。我们的研究表明，这种巨大的、不形成包囊的纤毛虫在亚热带的佛罗里达州繁衍生息。我们的观察结果很新颖，包括美洲首次出现记录以及该魅力物种的首批高质量活体图像。
