A New Species of Ellobiophrya Chatton et Lwoff, 1923 (Ciliophora: Peritrichia) Attached to Mantoscyphidia Jankowski, 1980 (Ciliophora: Peritrichia) Species

Surveys carried out along the coast of South Africa revealed the presence of a secondary symbiont of the genus Ellobiophrya Chatton et Lwoff, 1923 found attached to the narrow basal part adoral to the scopula of Mantoscyphidia spadiceae Botes, Basson et Van As, 2001 and M. midae Botes, Basson et Van As, 2001 occurring on the gills of Haliotis spadicea Donovan, 1808 and H. midae Linnaeus, 1758, respectively. Mantoscyphidia branchi Van As, Basson et Van As, 1998 found on the gills of Cymbula H. et A. Adams, 1854 and Scutellastra H. et A. Adams, 1854 species respectively, had the same ellobiophryid species attached to the narrow part adoral to the scopula. This ellobiophryid differs from all the known Ellobiophrya species with respect to morphology of the body, features of the nuclear apparatus, and host preference and is therefore described as a new species, Ellobiophrya maliculiformis sp. n.