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Parapodophrya aff. palmigera (Penard, 1920) Crustacean host: Lernaea cyprinacea cyprinacea Linnaeus, 1758 (cited as Lernaea cyprinacea); Copepoda. Crustacean body region: not determined. Locality: Montevideo, Uruguay (35.4 N, 56.55 S). Habitat: freshwater. Original reference: Carnevia & Letamendía (2018). Additional data: his suctorian was attached to the copepod surface which in turn was a parasite of fish., Published as part of Ramírez-Ballesteros, Mireya & Mayén-Estrada, Rosaura, 2022, A checklist of species of Podophryidae (Ciliophora: Suctoria) as Epibionts of Crustaceans, pp. 573-580 in Zootaxa 5209 (5) on page 575, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5209.5.4, http://zenodo.org/record/7340949, {"references":["Carnevia, D. & Letamendia, M. (2018) Descripcion preliminar de la comunidad de epibiontes sobre el copepodo parasito Lernaea cyprinacea L. 1758. (Crustacea, Copepoda, Lernaeidae), fijados en peces de un tajamar en Montevideo, Uruguay. Boletin de la Sociedad Zoologica del Uruguay, 27 (2), 46 - 56. https: // doi. org / 10.26462 / 27.2.4"]}

Podophrya sandi Collin, 1912 Crustacean host: Cambarellus (Cambarellus) patzcuarensis Villalobos, 1943 (cited as Cambarellus patzcuarensis); Decapoda. Crustacean body regions: antennules, antennae, pereiopods, pleopods, uropods, telson and carapace. Locality: Pátzcuaro Lake, Michoacán, Mexico (19.630375 N, 101.64728 W). Habitat: freshwater. Original reference: Mayén-Estrada (1997). Additional references: Mayén-Estrada & Aladro-Lubel (1998); Fernandez-Leborans et al. (2006a); Fernandez-Leborans (2009). Crustacean host: Raddaus bocourti; Decapoda. Crustacean body region: carapace. Locality: Río 13, Chiapas, Mexico (16,090,774 N, 91,646,002 W). Habitat: freshwater. Original reference: Ramírez-Ballesteros (2017). Additional reference: Ramírez-Ballesteros & Mayén-Estrada (2019)., Published as part of Ramírez-Ballesteros, Mireya & Mayén-Estrada, Rosaura, 2022, A checklist of species of Podophryidae (Ciliophora: Suctoria) as Epibionts of Crustaceans, pp. 573-580 in Zootaxa 5209 (5) on page 576, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5209.5.4, http://zenodo.org/record/7340949, {"references":["Mayen-Estrada, R. (1997) Ciliados asociados a Cambarellus patzcuarensis Villalobos, 1943, del Lago de Patzcuaro Michoacan. Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico City, 238 pp.","Mayen-Estrada, R. & Aladro-Lubel, M. A. (1998) Tres especies de suctores (Protozoa: Ciliophora) ectosimbiontes del acocil Cambarellus patzcuarensis. Anales del Instituto de Biologia. Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico. Serie Zoologia, 69 (1), 1 - 12.","Fernandez-Leborans, G., Arndt, C. & Gabilondo, R. (2006 a) Protozoan epibionts and their distribution on the arctic ice-amphipod Gammarus wilkitzkii from Spitsbergen, Norway. Arctic Antarctic and Alpine Research, 38 (3), 343 - 356. https: // doi. org / 10.1657 / 1523 - 0430 (2006) 38 [343: PEATDO] 2.0. CO; 2","Ramirez-Ballesteros, M. (2017) Ciliados epibiontes de crustaceos decapodos de agua dulce en la region de los lagos de Montebello, Chiapas. Un enfoque citologico, taxonomico y ecologico. Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico City, 128 pp.","Ramirez-Ballesteros, M. & Mayen-Estrada, R. (2019) Suctorians (Ciliophora: Suctoria) as epibionts of decapods of families Cambaridae and Pseudothelphusidae. Zootaxa, 4648 (2), 384 - 392. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 4648.2.11"]}

Podophrya maupasi Bütschli, 1889 Crustacean host: Caridina ensifera Schenkel, 1902; Decapoda. Crustacean body regions: eyes, maxillipeds, pereiopods, pleopods and telson. Locality: Poso Lake, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia (1.93969 S, 120.60283 E). Habitat: freshwater. Original reference: Fernandez-Leborans & von Rintelen (2007). Additional reference: Fernandez-Leborans & von Rintelen (2010). Crustacean host: Raddaus bocourti (A. Milne-Edwards, 1866); Decapoda. Crustacean body region: antennae. Locality: Rio 13, Chiapas, Mexico (16,090,774 N, 91,646,002 W). Habitat: freshwater. Original reference: Ramírez-Ballesteros (2017). Additional reference: Ramírez-Ballesteros & Mayén-Estrada (2019)., Published as part of Ramírez-Ballesteros, Mireya & Mayén-Estrada, Rosaura, 2022, A checklist of species of Podophryidae (Ciliophora: Suctoria) as Epibionts of Crustaceans, pp. 573-580 in Zootaxa 5209 (5) on page 576, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5209.5.4, http://zenodo.org/record/7340949, {"references":["Fernandez-Leborans, G. & von Rintelen, C. (2007) Epibiontic communities on the freshwater shrimp Caridina ensifera (Crustacea, Decapoda, Atyidae) from Lake Poso (Sulawesi, Indonesia). Journal of Natural History, 41 (45 - 48), 2891 - 2917. https: // doi. org / 10.1080 / 00222930701787871","Fernandez-Leborans, G. & von Rintelen, C. (2010) Biodiversity and distribution of epibiontic communities on Caridina ensifera (Crustacea, Decapoda, Atyidae) from Lake Poso, comparison with another ancient lake system of Sulawesi (Indonesia). Acta Zoologica, Stockholm, 91, 163 - 175. https: // doi. org / 10.1111 / j. 1463 - 6395.2009.00395. x","Ramirez-Ballesteros, M. (2017) Ciliados epibiontes de crustaceos decapodos de agua dulce en la region de los lagos de Montebello, Chiapas. Un enfoque citologico, taxonomico y ecologico. Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico City, 128 pp.","Ramirez-Ballesteros, M. & Mayen-Estrada, R. (2019) Suctorians (Ciliophora: Suctoria) as epibionts of decapods of families Cambaridae and Pseudothelphusidae. Zootaxa, 4648 (2), 384 - 392. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 4648.2.11"]}

Podophrya sp. Crustacean host: Caridina lanceolata Woltereck, 1937; Decapoda Crustacean body regions:a antennae, antennules, maxillipeds, pereiopods, pleopods and telson. Locality: Lake Mahalona, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia (2.599273 S, 121.49944 E). Habitat: freshwater. Original reference: Fernandez-Leborans et al. (2006b)., Published as part of Ramírez-Ballesteros, Mireya & Mayén-Estrada, Rosaura, 2022, A checklist of species of Podophryidae (Ciliophora: Suctoria) as Epibionts of Crustaceans, pp. 573-580 in Zootaxa 5209 (5) on page 576, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5209.5.4, http://zenodo.org/record/7340949, {"references":["Fernandez-Leborans, G., Zitzlerb, K. & Gabilondo, R. (2006 b) Epibiont protozoan communities on Caridina lanceolata (Crustacea, Decapoda) from the Malili lakes of Sulawesi (Indonesia). Zoologischer Anzeiger, 245, 167 - 191. https: // doi. org / 10.1016 / j. jcz. 2006.06.002"]}

Podophrya fixa O. F. Müller, 1786 Crustacean host: Cambarus sp.; Decapoda. Crustacean body region: pleopods. Locality: Niagara River, Buffalo, U. S. A. (42.960941 N, 78.930856 W). Habitat: freshwater. Original reference: Stokes (1888). Additional reference: Morado & Small (1995). Crustacean host: Cyclops sp.; Copepoda. Locality: Biemiller’s Cove, Ohio, U. S.A. (41.459977 N, 82.714115 W). Habitat: freshwater. Original reference: Landacre (1908). Crustacean host: Copepoda. Locality: Tecocomulco lake, Hidalgo, Mexico (19.853760 N, 98.387002 W). Habitat: freshwater. Original reference: Aladro-Lubel & Sánchez-Calderón (2005). Crustacean host: Gammarus wilkitzkii Birula, 1897; Amphipoda. Crustacean body regions: antennae, maxillipeds, pereiopods, pleopods, uropods and telson. Locality: Spitsbergen, Norway (79.23376 N, 20.519149 E). Habitat: marine. Original reference: Fernandez-Leborans et al. (2006a). Additional references: Fernandez-Leborans (2009); Fernandez-Leborans & Cárdenas (2009). Crustacean host: Lithodes santolla (Molina, 1782); Decapoda. Crustacean body regions: antennae and antennules. Locality: San Juan Bay, Punta Arenas, Chile (53.633333 S, 70.9333333 W). Habitat: freshwater. Original reference: Fernandez-Leborans & Cárdenas (2009). Crustacean host: Pontastacus leptodactylus (Eschscholtz, 1823) (cited as Astacus leptodactylus); Decapoda. Crustacean body regions: pereiopods, pleopods, telson, uropods and mouth parts. Locality: Aras Dam, West Azerbaijan, Iran (39.090934 N, 45.402059 E). Habitat: freshwater. Original reference: Nekuie-Fard et al. (2011). Additional reference: Nekuie-Fard et al. (2015)., Published as part of Ramírez-Ballesteros, Mireya & Mayén-Estrada, Rosaura, 2022, A checklist of species of Podophryidae (Ciliophora: Suctoria) as Epibionts of Crustaceans, pp. 573-580 in Zootaxa 5209 (5) on pages 575-576, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5209.5.4, http://zenodo.org/record/7340949, {"references":["Morado, J. F. & Small, E. B. (1995) Ciliate parasites and related diseases of Crustacea: a review. Reviews in Fisheries Science & Aquaculture, 3 (4), 275 - 354. https: // doi. org / 10.1080 / 10641269509388575","Landacre, F. L. (1908) The protozoa of Sandusky Bay and vicinity. Proceedings of the Ohio State Academy of Science, IV (10), 42 - 472.","Aladro-Lubel, M. A. & Sanchez-Calderon, G. (2005) Ciliados epibiontes de la vegetacion sumergida y de los invertebrados de la laguna de Tecocomulco. In: Huizar-Alvarez, R., Jimenez-Fernandez, E. J. & Juarez-Lopez, C. (Eds.), La Laguna de Tecocomulco: geo-Geologia de un desastre. Instituto de Geologia, UNAM, Mexico, pp. 169 - 178.","Fernandez-Leborans, G., Arndt, C. & Gabilondo, R. (2006 a) Protozoan epibionts and their distribution on the arctic ice-amphipod Gammarus wilkitzkii from Spitsbergen, Norway. Arctic Antarctic and Alpine Research, 38 (3), 343 - 356. https: // doi. org / 10.1657 / 1523 - 0430 (2006) 38 [343: PEATDO] 2.0. CO; 2","Fernandez-Leborans, G. & Cardenas, C. (2009) Epibiotic protozoan communities on juvenile southern king crabs (Lithodes santolla) from subantarctic areas. Polar Biology, 32, 1693 - 1703. https: // doi. org / 10.1007 / s 00300 - 009 - 0669 - 3","Nekuie-Fard, A., Motalebi, A., Jalali-Jafari, B., Aghazadeh-Meshgi, M., Azadikhah, D. & Afsharnasab, M. (2011) Survey on fungal, parasites and epibionts infestation on the Astacus leptodactylus in Aras Reservoir West Azarbaijan, Iran. Iranian Journal of Fisheries Sciences, 10 (2), 266 - 275.","Nekuie-Fard, A., Afsharnasab, M., Seidgar, M., Kakoolaki, S., Azadikhah, D. & Asem, A. (2015) Protozoan epibionts on Astacus leptodactylus (Eschscholtz, 1823) from Aras Reservoir, Northwest Iran. Iranian Journal of Fisheries Sciences, 14 (2), 308 - 320."]}

The epibiotic relationship between crustaceans and ciliates is frequent, for example, with species of suctorians. This work aims to present an updated list of species of the family Podophryidae worldwide distributed as epibionts of crustaceans and its geographic distribution. The available literature was checked, and all the species were verified. We found four species and four species indeterminata attached to 16 species of crustaceans. For the American continent, we obtained four species, and for Africa and Oceania, we did not find any species.

Rhabdophrya nymphonis (Gassovsky, 1916) (Fig. 4 G) = Dendrosomides nymphonis Gassovsky, 1916 Diagnosis: Aloricate suctorian ciliate with elongated, not converged to the top, very slightly laterally flattened, stalked cell body. Few in number, short, rod-like tentacles arranged in groups along the lateral edge of body. Stalk short, provided with good developed epicone. Macronucleus long, thin, ribbon-like. Reproduction not observed. Measurements (in µm, after Kahl 1934): Body length 90–103. Type locality: Kola Bay of the Barents Sea (Gassovsky 1916). Type host: Nymphon sp. Other hosts and localities: The species mentioned as found epibiotic on hydroids, algae and bryozoans from the Barents Sea near Murmansk (Jankowski 2007; Chatterjeee & Dovgal 2020)., Published as part of Chatterjee, Tapas, Dovgal, Igor & Sautya, Sabyasachi, 2022, A new species of genus Rhabdophrya (Ciliophora: Suctorea) from the west coast of India and comments on the genus taxonomy, pp. 293-300 in Zootaxa 5178 (3) on page 299, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5178.3.8, http://zenodo.org/record/7026320, {"references":["Gassovsky, G. N. (1916) Sur la faune des Infusoires du golf de Kola et de ses environs. Travaux de la Societe Imperiale des Naturalistes de Petrograd, Section de Zoologie et Physiologie, 45 (4), 139 - 215. [in Russian]","Kahl, A. (1934) Suctoria. In: Grimpe G. & Wagler E. (Eds.): Die Tierwelt der Nord- und Ostsee. 26, 184 - 226.","Jankowski, A. V. (2007) Review of taxa Phylum Ciliophora Doflein, 1901. In: Alimov, A. F. (Ed.), Protista: Handbook on Zoology. Part 2. Nauka, St. Petersburg, pp. 415 - 993. [in Russian]","Chatterjeee, T. & Dovgal, I. (2020) Checklist of ciliate epibionts (Ciliophora) found on bryozoans. Zootaxa, 4896 (4), 547 - 559. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 4896.4.6"]}

The article presents the description of a new species of the suctorian genus Rhabdophrya inhabiting the body surface (cuticle) of harpacticoid copepod from Navy-Nagar, Mumbai intertidal coralline region, west coast of India, the Arabian Sea. The diagnosis of the genus is refined, all other species diagnoses and identification keys are presented.

Key for identification of suctorian ciliates belong to the genus Rhabdophrya 1(4) Macronucleus ellipsoidal. 2(3) Stalk long, provided with physon................................................. Rhabdophrya mumbaiensis n. sp. 3(2) Stalk short, provided with epicone....................................................... Rhabdophrya trimorpha. 4(1) Macronucleus ribbon-like. 5(6) Stalk long, but its length does not exceed half the length of the body, without widening.............. Rhabdophrya truncata. 6(7) Stalk short, with epicone. 7(8) Body converged to the top............................................................ Rhabdophrya populiformis. 8(7) Body not converged to the top.......................................................... Rhabdophrya nymphonis.

Rhabdophrya populiformis (Gassovsky, 1916) (Fig. 4 F) = Dendrosomides populiformis Gassovsky, 1916 Diagnosis: Aloricate suctorian ciliate with elongated, converged to the top, very slightly laterally flattened, stalked cell body. Few in number, rod-like tentacles arranged in groups along the lateral edge of body. Stalk short, provided with epicone. Macronucleus long, ribbon-like. Reproduction by vermigemmic budding. Measurements (in µm, after Kahl 1934): Body length 220–247, stalk length 55–90. Type locality: Kola Bay of the Barents Sea (Gassovsky 1916). Type hosts: Halecium sp. Other hosts and localities: This was also reported on Idotea sp., Cabere aellisii (Fleming, 1814) from Kola Bay of the Barents Sea (Gassovsky 1916); on bryozoans and algae from the Barents Sea near Murmansk (Jankowski 2007; Chatterjeee & Dovgal 2020)., Published as part of Chatterjee, Tapas, Dovgal, Igor & Sautya, Sabyasachi, 2022, A new species of genus Rhabdophrya (Ciliophora: Suctorea) from the west coast of India and comments on the genus taxonomy, pp. 293-300 in Zootaxa 5178 (3) on pages 298-299, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5178.3.8, http://zenodo.org/record/7026320, {"references":["Gassovsky, G. N. (1916) Sur la faune des Infusoires du golf de Kola et de ses environs. Travaux de la Societe Imperiale des Naturalistes de Petrograd, Section de Zoologie et Physiologie, 45 (4), 139 - 215. [in Russian]","Kahl, A. (1934) Suctoria. In: Grimpe G. & Wagler E. (Eds.): Die Tierwelt der Nord- und Ostsee. 26, 184 - 226.","Jankowski, A. V. (2007) Review of taxa Phylum Ciliophora Doflein, 1901. In: Alimov, A. F. (Ed.), Protista: Handbook on Zoology. Part 2. Nauka, St. Petersburg, pp. 415 - 993. [in Russian]","Chatterjeee, T. & Dovgal, I. (2020) Checklist of ciliate epibionts (Ciliophora) found on bryozoans. Zootaxa, 4896 (4), 547 - 559. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 4896.4.6"]}

Rhabdophrya trimorpha Chatton & Collin, 1910 (Fig. 4 A–D) Diagnosis: Aloricate suctorian ciliate with extremely elongated, ribbon-like, slightly laterally flattened cell body. The cross section of the body is elliptical since the edges of the body are thinner than the central part. Short rod-like tentacles evenly distributed along the entire height of the body, not arranged in the fascicles. The macronucleus, ellipsoidal, single micronucleus positioned near macronucleus. There are two or three contractile vacuoles. Stalk short, thin, with small adhesive disk and good developed cup-like apical widening (epicone). Reproduction by vermigemmy (Fig. 4 B) with forming of short, unstalked swarmer (Fig. 4 C), which, after attaching to the host body, forming stalk with epicone, grows (Fig. 4 D) and turn into trophont stage. Measurements (in µm, after Chatton & Collin 1910): Trophont body length 160–175; body width 12–15; stalk length about 5. The length of undeveloped swarmer 45, width 10. The length of developed swarmer about the same as in trophont stage. Type locality: The Mediterranean Sea, Banyuls-sur-Mer, Cap l’Abeille, France (Chatton & Collin 1910). Type host: Cletodes longicaudatus (Boeck, 1872). Other hosts and localities: The species also reported as epibiont on copepods Typhlamphiascus sp. and Enhydrosoma sp. from Slovenian coastal water, Bay of Piran, Gulf of Trieste, the North Adriatic Sea (FernandezLeborans et al. 2012)., Published as part of Chatterjee, Tapas, Dovgal, Igor & Sautya, Sabyasachi, 2022, A new species of genus Rhabdophrya (Ciliophora: Suctorea) from the west coast of India and comments on the genus taxonomy, pp. 293-300 in Zootaxa 5178 (3) on page 297, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5178.3.8, http://zenodo.org/record/7026320, {"references":["Chatton, E. & Collin, B. (1910) Sur un Acinetien nouveau commensal d'un copepode, Rhabdophrya trimorpha n. g., n. sp. Archives de zoologie experimentale et generale, 5 (5), 138 - 145."]}

Rhabdophrya trimorpha Chatton & Collin, 1910 (Fig. 4 A–D) Diagnosis: Aloricate suctorian ciliate with extremely elongated, ribbon-like, slightly laterally flattened cell body. The cross section of the body is elliptical since the edges of the body are thinner than the central part. Short rod-like tentacles evenly distributed along the entire height of the body, not arranged in the fascicles. The macronucleus, ellipsoidal, single micronucleus positioned near macronucleus. There are two or three contractile vacuoles. Stalk short, thin, with small adhesive disk and good developed cup-like apical widening (epicone). Reproduction by vermigemmy (Fig. 4 B) with forming of short, unstalked swarmer (Fig. 4 C), which, after attaching to the host body, forming stalk with epicone, grows (Fig. 4 D) and turn into trophont stage. Measurements (in µm, after Chatton & Collin 1910): Trophont body length 160–175; body width 12–15; stalk length about 5. The length of undeveloped swarmer 45, width 10. The length of developed swarmer about the same as in trophont stage. Type locality: The Mediterranean Sea, Banyuls-sur-Mer, Cap l’Abeille, France (Chatton & Collin 1910). Type host: Cletodes longicaudatus (Boeck, 1872). Other hosts and localities: The species also reported as epibiont on copepods Typhlamphiascus sp. and Enhydrosoma sp. from Slovenian coastal water, Bay of Piran, Gulf of Trieste, the North Adriatic Sea (FernandezLeborans et al. 2012).

Genus Rhabdophrya Chatton & Collin, 1910 = Stylarcon Jankowski, 1981 Diagnosis: Suctorian ciliates with unloricate, unbrahched, stalked, elongated, slightly laterally flattened, ribbonlike or sac-like body. Rod like tentacles (pachytenes—term of Jankowski, 2007) are evenly distributed or arranged in fascicles along the lateral edge of body. Macronucleus elongated or long, band-like. Reproduction by exogemmic budding with forming of lateral unciliary, vermiform swarmer (vermigemmy). Type species Rhabdophrya trimorpha Chatton & Collin, 1910., Published as part of Chatterjee, Tapas, Dovgal, Igor & Sautya, Sabyasachi, 2022, A new species of genus Rhabdophrya (Ciliophora: Suctorea) from the west coast of India and comments on the genus taxonomy, pp. 293-300 in Zootaxa 5178 (3) on page 297, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5178.3.8, http://zenodo.org/record/7026320, {"references":["Chatton, E. & Collin, B. (1910) Sur un Acinetien nouveau commensal d'un copepode, Rhabdophrya trimorpha n. g., n. sp. Archives de zoologie experimentale et generale, 5 (5), 138 - 145.","Jankowski, A. V. (1981) New species, genera and families of tentacled infusoria (class Suctoria). In: Proceedings of Zoological Institute. 107, 80 - 115. [in Russian with English summary]","Jankowski, A. V. (2007) Review of taxa Phylum Ciliophora Doflein, 1901. In: Alimov, A. F. (Ed.), Protista: Handbook on Zoology. Part 2. Nauka, St. Petersburg, pp. 415 - 993. [in Russian]"]}

Rhabdophrya mumbaiensis n. sp. (Fig. 2A–B, 3A–E) Diagnosis: Aloricate, stalked suctorian ciliate with elongated, very slightly laterally flattened, saсciform body with distinct longitudinal folds (Fig. 3A, C). The edges of the body are somewhat thinner than the central part (Fig. 3 B, D). There are up to 33 tentacles, which are rod-like with conically enlarged bases, arranged in two rows along the length of the body lateral edge. Macronucleus ellipsoidal, positioned in the lower part of the cell body. Stalk about the same length as the body, or some longer, transparent, furnished with noticeable longitudinal fold and with widening (physon) in contact zone with the base of the body. Reproduction not observed. Measurements (in µm, based on two individuals): Body length 74–87; body width 32–33; body thickness 23; stalk length 35–51; stalk width 7–11; physon width 11–16; dimensions of macronucleus 16–19×9–11; tentacle length 11–41; number of the tentacles 26–33. Type materials: Type materials for new species are deposited (by third author Sabyasachi Sautya) at CSIRNational Institute of Oceanography Taxonomic Reference Centre, Mumbai, India (CSIR-NIO). Type locality: Navy-Nagar, Mumbai intertidal coralline region; latitude 18°54’17.05’’N longitude 72°48’08.09’’E west coast of India, the Arabian Sea (Fig. 1). Type host: Benthic harpacticoid copepods (Fig. 2A, B). Localization (Attachment place of epibiont on basibiont): Thoracal segments of harpacticoid hosts (Fig. 2A, B). Differential diagnosis: The new species is most relative to R. truncata, R. nymphonis and R. populiformis but differs from these species by ellipsoid instead of band-like macronucleus and presence of physon. The new species differs from R. trimorpha by long stalk with physon and by shorter, compact cell body. Etymology: The specific epithet reflects the type locality Mumbai., Published as part of Chatterjee, Tapas, Dovgal, Igor & Sautya, Sabyasachi, 2022, A new species of genus Rhabdophrya (Ciliophora: Suctorea) from the west coast of India and comments on the genus taxonomy, pp. 293-300 in Zootaxa 5178 (3) on pages 294-297, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5178.3.8, http://zenodo.org/record/7026320

Acinetopsis lynni Baldrighi et al., 2020 (Fig. 3A–F) Material examined: Twenty ciliate specimens were found attached with eight female Desmodora sp. and sixty ciliate specimens were found attached with nine males of the same species from 202 m depth of the Arabian Sea. Brief Description: Marine suctorian ciliate enclosed in stalked lorica. The cellbody is attached to the bottom of lorica, which fills about two thirds or three fours of it. The apical surface of the cell is somewhat concave down. Lorica elongate, slightly flattened, smooth. Stalk, short, straight, some extended upward, very weakly longitudinally striated, with the adhesive disc. There are 6–7 extremely contractive, long, agile tentacles (in investigating individuals all tentacles were contracted). Macronucleus ovoid, positioned near foot of the body. Reproduction by endogenous budding with the formation of a single protomite. Measurements from present find (in µm, based on four individuals): Lorica length 53–77; lorica width 17–24; body length 47–58; body width 16–22; stalk length 5–8; macronucleus length 7–11; macronucleus width 4–6; length of the contracted tentacles 4–7. Remarks: In the present observation total of 80 Acinetopsis lynni specimens are found attached to 17 individuals of the host (Table 2). The place of attachment was shown in Pie diagram (Fig. 4) giving information on the percentage of infestation at anterior, middle and posterior body parts of the nematode host. It was found that 11% ciliates were attached on the anterior part of the body while, attachment on middle and posterior parts was 54% and 34%, respectively. Baldrighi et al. (2020) reported the attachment of this species on the host body at the middle part and tail region of the body. This species was earlier reported as epibiont on Desmodora sp. found attached to the middle part and tail region from the Gulf of Naples-shallow vent area (Baldrighi et al. 2020). This is the first report of this species from the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean., Published as part of Chatterjee, Tapas, Sautya, Sabyasachi, Dovgal, Igor & Gaikwad, Santosh, 2022, Report of suctorian ciliates (Ciliophora, Suctorea) as epibionts on meiobenthic nematodes in an oxygen minimum zone of the Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean, pp. 492-500 in Zootaxa 5138 (4) on pages 496-497, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5138.4.9, http://zenodo.org/record/6571797, {"references":["Baldrighi, E., Dovgal, I., Zeppilli, D., Abibulaeva, A., Michelet, C., Michaud, E., Franzo, A., Grassi, E., Cesaroni, L., Guidi, L., Balsamo, M., Sandulli, R. & Semprucci, F. (2020) The cost for biodiversity: records of ciliate - nematode epibiosis with the description of three new suctorian species. Diversity, 12 (6), Article No. 224, 1 - 25. https: // doi. org / 10.3390 / d 12060224"]}

Paracineta livadiana (Mereschkowsky, 1881) (Fig. 2A, B) Material examined: One individual found as epibiont on nematode host belonging to the genus Desmodora, from 202 m depth of Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean Brief Description: Marine suctorian ciliate with a rounded body, almost covered with a stylotheca. The tentacles are arranged at apical body surface. Stylotheca with stem-like pseudostyle that does not widen until it transitions into the widened part of the stylotheca. The macronucleus is ellipsoidal, central. Measurements from present specimen (in µm, based on one individual): Stylotheca length 32; lorica width 20; body length 21; body width 13; pseudostyle length 7; pseudostyle diameter 3; macronucleus length 5; macronucleus width 4; length of the tentacles 4–8. Remarks: This is a marine or brackish-water species, that can settle on the surface of the body of invertebrates and other substrates. Mereschkowsky (1881) described this species as epibiont on hydroids Sertularia sp. from the Black Sea near Livadia (Yalta). The species was reported attached on hydroids Obelia commissuralis McCrady, 1859 and O. geniculata (Linnaeus, 1758) from Woods Hole, USA (Root 1922). This species was found from Mediterranean Sea (Port Said, Egypt) and at the Atlantic coast of the USA (Dovgal 2013). The species was registered in the Black Sea on algae Cladophora sp. near Sevastopol and on Cladophora sp. and crab Pachygrapsus marmoratus (Fabricius, 1787) from the coast of the Karadag Natural Reserve (Crimea) (Dovgal 2013). It was observed from harpacticoid copepods Amphiascella subdebilis (Willey, 1935), Haloschizopera pontarchis Por, 1959, Cletodes tenuipes Scott, 1896 and Enhydrosoma longifurcatum Sars, 1909 in the hypoxic zone of the Black Sea by Sergeeva & Dovgal (2014). This is the first report of this species from the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean., Published as part of Chatterjee, Tapas, Sautya, Sabyasachi, Dovgal, Igor & Gaikwad, Santosh, 2022, Report of suctorian ciliates (Ciliophora, Suctorea) as epibionts on meiobenthic nematodes in an oxygen minimum zone of the Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean, pp. 492-500 in Zootaxa 5138 (4) on page 494, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5138.4.9, http://zenodo.org/record/6571797, {"references":["Root, F. M. (1922) A new suctorian from Woods Hole. Transactions of the American Microscopical Society, 41 (2), 77 - 81. https: // doi. org / 10.2307 / 3221897","Dovgal, I. V. (2013) Ciliates - Ciliophora. Issue 1. Class Suctorea. In: Fauna of Ukraine vol. 36. Naukova dumka, Kiev, pp. 1 - 267. [in Russian with English summary]","Sergeeva, N. G. & Dovgal, I. (2014) First finding of epibiont peritrich and suctorian ciliates (Ciliophora) on oligochaetes and harpacticoid copepods from the deep-water hypoxic / anoxic conditions of the Black Sea. Ecologica Montenegrina, 1, 49 - 54. https: // doi. org / 10.37828 / em. 2014.1.7"]}

Three suctorian ciliate species, Paracineta livadiana (Mereschkowsky, 1881), Loricophrya bosporica Sergeeva & Dovgal, 2014 and Acinetopsis lynni Baldrighi et al., 2020 are found as epibionts on meiobenthic nematodes in an oxygen minimum zone of the Arabian Sea. All three species are recorded here for the first time from the Indian Ocean.

Trematosoma rotunda (Allgén, 1952) (Fig. 3 E–F; Fig. 4 A) (for synonym see Chatterjee et al. 2020e) Material examined: One individual found as epibiont on nematode host collected from stn MUC-13, at 0–2 cm sediment depth, 1495 m water depth (Fig. 3 E–F); four individuals found as epibiont on nematode host belongs to the genus Tricoma collected from stn MUC-17, at 0–2 cm sediment depth, 3918 m water depth (Fig. 4 A) from Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean. Diagnosis: Marine loricate suctorian. Cell body short, rounded, laterally flattened, entirely fills up the lorica and clamped to their aperture border. Lorica delicate gently striated. Tentacles clavate, short, arranged in two groups of rows at the upper body surface. Macronucleus spherical or oval, centrally or slightly posteriorly located. Stalk short, thin, slightly ribbed. Measurements from present find (based on three individuals, in μm): Lorica length 27–31, lorica width 13–16, stalk length 6–13, body length 17–23, body width 12–14, macronucleus diameter 5–6, length of the tentacles 3–4. Host and substrate specificity: Epibiont on nematodes Desmodora tenuispiculum Allgén, 1928, Desmodora stateni Allgén, 1928 (Allgén 1952); on nematode Pseudochromadora sp. (Dovgal 2009); on nematode Chromaspirina sp. (Bhattacharjee 2014); on nematode Dorylaimposis punctata (Ansari & Bhadury 2016); on nematode Desmodora scaldensis de Man 1889 (Ghosh & Mandal 2019); on Desmodora sp. (Baldrighi et al. 2020); on nematode— Tricoma sp. (Chatterjee et al. 2020d, present report); on harpacticoid copepod (Chatterjee et al. 2020e); on nematode (present report). Distribution: Falkland Islands Allgén (1952); Argentina (Allgén 1952); Antarctica (Allgén 1952); Ratnagiri, Maharastra, west coast of India, Arabian Sea (Dovgal et al. 2009); Odisha, India, Bay of Bengal (Bhattacharjee 2014); Sagar Island, Sundarbans, India, Bay of Bengal (Ghosh & Mandal 2019); Karwar, Karnataka, India, Arabian Sea (Chatterjee 2020d); Goa, west coast of India, Arabian Sea (Chatterjee et al. 2000e); Madagascar, Indian Ocean (528–775 m depth) (Baldrighi et al. 2020); Gulf of Naples (Baldrighi et al. 2020); Arabian Sea, 1495 m and 3918 m depth (present report). Remarks: Earlier report of Baldrighi et al. (2020) of this species was from 528–775 m depth of Madagascar region, Indian Ocean. Present record of this species extends its bathymetric distribution up to 3918 m depth in Indian Ocean., Published as part of Chatterjee, Tapas, Sautya, Sabyasachi, Dovgal, Igor, Gaikwad, Santosh, Khokher, Sanofar H. & Choudhury, Amita, 2022, Report of deep-sea epibiont ciliates (Ciliophora) from more than 1000 m depth of the Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean, pp. 423-434 in Zootaxa 5120 (3) on pages 429-430, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5120.3.8, http://zenodo.org/record/6389568, {"references":["Allgen, C. A. (1952) Uber zwei neue antarktische Suctorien aus dem Gracham Land. Kungliga Fysiografiska Sallskapets i Lund Forhandlingar, 121, 173 - 176.","Chatterjee, T., Dovgal, I. & Nanajkar, M. (2020 e) Report of Trematosoma rotunda (Ciliophora, Suctorea) as epibiont on harpacticoid copepod from western Indian coast. Acta Biologica, 27, 109 - 116. https: // doi. org / 10.18276 / ab. 2020.27 - 10","Dovgal, I., Chatterjee, T. & Ingole, B. (2009) New records of Thecacineta cothurnioides and Trematosoma rotunda (Ciliophora, Suctorea) as epibionts on nematodes from Indian Ocean. Protistology, 6 (1), 19 - 23.","Bhattacharjee, D. (2014) Suctorian epibionts on Chromaspirina sp. (Nematoda: Desmodoridae) from the shallow continental shelf of the Bay of Bengal, northern Indian Ocean. Marine Biodiversity Records. 7 (e 49), 1 - 3. https: // doi. org / 10.1017 / S 1755267214000451","Ansari, K. G. M. T. & Bhadury, P. (2016) Occurrence of epibionts associated with meiofaunal basibionts from the world's largest mangrove ecosystem, the Sundarbans. Marine Biodiversity, 47, 539 - 548. https: // doi. org / 10.1007 / s 12526 - 016 - 0502 - 5","Ghosh, M. & Mandal, S. (2019). Living with nematode: an epibiont Trematosoma rotunda associated with basibiont Desmodora scaldensis from Matla Estuary, Sundarbans, India. Thalassas, An International Journal of Marine Sciences. 35, 619 - 624. https: // doi. org / 10.1007 / s 41208 - 019 - 00129 - 3","Baldrighi, E., Dovgal, I., Zeppilli, D., Abibulaeva, A., Michelet, C., Michaud, E., Franzo, A., Grassi, E., Cesaroni, L., Guidi, L., Balsamo, M., Sandulli, R. & Semprucci, F. (2020) The cost for biodiversity: records of ciliate - nematode epibiosis with the description of three new suctorian species. Diversity, 12 (6). Article no. 224, 25 pp. https: // doi. org / 10.3390 / d 12060224","Chatterjee, T., Dovgal, I. & Nanajkar, M. (2020 d) Report of ciliate epibionts (Ciliophora, Suctorea) on meiobenthic invertebrates from the Indian coast near Karwar, Karnataka. Protistology, 14 (2), 84 - 88. https: // doi. org / 10.21685 / 1680 - 0826 - 2020 - 14 - 2 - 5"]}