Entodiniomorphid ciliates from the wild lowland gorilla with the description of a new genus and three new species

The entodiniomorphid ciliates in gorilla in Gabon, West Africa, were surveyed and observed by light and scanning electron microscopy. As a result, 4 species belonging to the families Troglodytellidae and Cycloposthiidae were identified, and 3 of them were new to science. These species were described as Goriliophilus thoracatus n.g., n.sp., Troglodytella gabonensis n.sp., and Prototapirella gorillae n.sp. SEM observations of Goriliophilus and Troglodytella revealed in particular the surface structures of somatic ciliary bands in which the cilia extended as rectangular tufts from uniformly distributed basements, smooth-surfaced anterior cap, armature-like ridges, and the presence of a left-ventral groove. From the similarity and difference of the morphology among these species, their phylogenetical relationships were discussed.