Hypotrichidium tisiae (Gelei, 1929) Gelei, 1954: a unique hypotrichid ciliate having a highly specialized developmental pattern during binary division.

In sharp contrast to their pelagic relatives, the oligotrichs, the overwhelming majority of hypotrich ciliates inhabit the benthos. Only a few species, including those of the genus Hypotrichidium Ilowaisky, 1921, have adapted to a planktonic lifestyle. The ontogenetic mode of the highly differentiated ciliate, Hypotrichidium tisiae (Gelei, 1929) Gelei, 1954, is unknown. In this study, the interphase morphology and the ontogenetic process of this species are investigated. Accordingly, the previously unidentified ciliary pattern of Hypotrichidium is redefined. The main morphogenetic features are as follows: (1) The parental adoral zone of membranelles is inherited completely by the proter and the oral primordium of the opisthe arises in a deep pouch. (2) Five frontoventral cirral anlagen (FVA) are formed: FVA I contributes to the single frontal cirrus, FVA II-IV generate three frontoventral cirral rows, FVA V migrates and forms postoral ventral cirri. (3) All marginal cirral row anlagen develop de novo: each of the two left anlagen forms a single cirral row, while the single right anlage fragments into anterior and posterior parts. (4) Two dorsal kinety anlagen occur de novo, with the right one fragmenting to form kineties 2 and 3. (5) Two long caudal cirral rows are formed at the ends of dorsal kineties 1 and 3. On the basis of the morphogenetic features and phylogenetic analyses, the assignment of Hypotrichidium to the family Spirofilidae Gelei, 1929 within Postoralida is supported. The establishment of separate families for the slender "tubicolous" spirofilids and the highly helical spirofilids is also validated.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42995-022-00148-9.