Cryptic host-driven speciation of mobilid ciliates epibiotic on freshwater planarians

Mobilids are among the most taxonomically diverse but morphologically uniform groups of epibiotic ciliates. They attach to their hosts by means of an adhesive disc as harmless commensals such as Urceolaria, or as parasites causing significant economic loss such as some Trichodina species. We investigated the diversity, species boundaries, and phylogenetic relationships of mobilids associated with freshwater planarians, using 114 new sequences of two mitochondrial (16S rRNA gene and cytochrome c oxidase gene) and five nuclear (18S rRNA gene, ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region, D1/D2 domains of 28S rRNA gene) markers. Although the morphological disparity of the isolated trichodinids and urceolariids was low, Bayesian coalescent analyses revealed the existence of five distinct evolutionary lineages/species given the seven molecular markers. The occurrence of mobilids perfectly correlated with their planarian hosts: Trichodina steinii and two Urceolaria mitra-like taxa were associated exclusively with the planarian Dugesia gonocephala, Trichodina polycelis sp. n. with the planarian Polycelis felina, and Trichodina schmidtea sp. n. with the planarian Schmidtea polychroa. Host organisms thus very likely constitute sharply isolated niches that might permit speciation of their epibiotic ciliates, even though no distinct morphological features appear to be recognizable among ciliates originating from different hosts.

Automated summary

The study revealed that Mobilids show five distinct evolutionary lineages/species at the molecular level. Different Mobilids are highly correlated with their planarian hosts, suggesting that host organisms may provide isolated niches that facilitate speciation of their epibiotic ciliates.