Abstract
Recent studies have revealed that the “lower” marine ciliates are far more diverse than previously suspected. During a survey on the ciliate fauna in coastal waters of Qingdao, northern China, we have isolated about 30 new or poorly known taxa. In the present study two colepid species are investigated,
Nolandia orientalis spec. nov. and
Pinacocoleps similis (Kahl, 1933) comb. nov. (basionym:
Coleps similis Kahl, 1933). Their morphology and infraciliature are documented based on living observations and silver impregnations. The new species
Nolandia orientalis differs from the type species
N. nolandi mainly in the structure of tier plates. The structure of the tier plates was also the basis for transferring
Coleps similis Kahl, 1933 to the genus
Pinacocoleps and for three further new combinations:
Pinacocoleps heteracanthus (Noland, 1937) comb. nov. (basionym:
Coleps heteracanthus Noland, 1937),
P. spiralis (Noland, 1937) comb. nov. (basionym
Coleps spiralis Noland, 1937) and
Pinacocoleps arenarius (Bock, 1952) comb. nov. (basionym:
Coleps arenarius Bock, 1952).