RT Journal Article SR Electronic(1) A1 Song, Wen A1 Li, Jiamei A1 Liu, Weiwei A1 Jiang, Jiamei A1 Rasheid, Khaled A. S. Al- A1 Hu, XiaozhongYR 2013 T1 Taxonomy, morphology and molecular systematics of three oligotrich ciliates, including a description of Apostrombidium parakielum spec. nov. (Ciliophora, Oligotrichia) JF International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, VO 63 IS Pt_3 SP 1179 OP 1191 DO https://doi.org/10.1099/ijs.0.048314-0 PB Microbiology Society, SN 1466-5034, AB Three oligotrich ciliates, Apostrombidium parakielum spec. nov., Novistrombidium apsheronicum (Alekperov & Asadullayeva, 1997) Agatha, 2003 and Novistrombidium testaceum (Anigstein, 1914) Song & Bradbury, 1998 were collected from the coastal waters of China and their morphology and small-subunit rRNA (SSU rRNA) gene sequences were studied. The novel species can be recognized by the combination of its obconical body shape, 14–16 anterior and 6–8 ventral membranelles, somatic kinety in three parts and conspicuously long dorsal cilia. Based on the data obtained for this novel species, an improved diagnosis of the genus Apostrombidium is supplied. Descriptions of the population of N. apsheronicum and N. testaceum collected in this study are also provided and compared with the existing descriptions. In addition, the phylogenetic positions of these three species are inferred from their SSU rRNA gene sequence data. The results indicate that the genus Apostrombidium, the systematics of which has not previously been discussed using molecular information, clusters with Varistrombidium kielum and Omegastrombidium elegans, whereas N. testaceum and N. apsheronicum form a single clade., UL https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/ijsem/10.1099/ijs.0.048314-0