The Worldwide Chonotrichia Project
The Chonotrichia (Ciliophora) exhibit an astounding morphological diversity. They are epibiotic, living settled on several crustacean species, all around the world. They reproduce principally by budding, and exhibit complex life cycles driven by the moulting of their host. Based on cytological observations, Jankowski (1973) has described more than 100 species belonging to some 40 genera distributed in 11 families and 3 sub-orders. Most of these species have been described from Russia, principally from the Kamchatka-Vladivostock region. Records from other parts of the world are scarce. Ultrastructural datas are known for few species and molecular datas are actually restricted to 3 species. The main goal of the Worldwide Chonotrichia Project is to establish a broad molecular taxonomy of the Chonotrichia, and to construct « The Tree of Chonotrichs ».
The project will be built on : – a database of all past and actual chonotrich records ; – environmental mass sequencing datas could provide decisive contributions; – contacts with protozoologists all around the world where chonotrichs are known to be, or were, present ; – these peoples should sample crustaceans, store them in ethanol and send them to Geneva ; – the molecular work will be done in Geneva; – collaborations for analyzing and publishing the datas.
EVERYBODY IS WELCOMED.
1. A huge biodiversity : Chonotr-taxonomy6.pdf
2. A worldwide distribution : world_map_5.pdf
Chonotrichia have been recorded pretty much everywhere in the World, but several wide regions are lacking.
3. The best sites : Best_sites_3.pdf
4. Astounding : Chonotrichia on whale’s lice !
– Two Chonotrichia species have been found on the copepod Balaenophilus equisetus, itself living on the whales Balenoptera sp. and Megaptera sp.;
– Two Chonotrichia species have been found on two amphipods species (Cyamus sp.), themselves living on the same whales Balenoptera sp. and Megaptera sp.
– And on other whales ?
– And on other cetaceans (Sperm whales, Narvals, Orcs, Porpoises, Dolphins, …) ?
– And why not on sea turtles ?
5. I need your help ! sampling-sending2.pdf