Trichodina magna Van As and Basson, 1989 (Ciliophora: Peritrichia) from cultured Nile tilapia in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil

Specimens of Trichodina magna Van As and Bassson, 1989 (Ciliophora: Peritrichia) from the Nile tilapia Oreochrolnis niloticus collected from October 2004 to June 2005 in fish ponds situated in three regions of Santa Catarina State, Brazil are described here. Wet smears of skin and gills were prepared in the field, air dried, impregnated with Klein's dry silver method and Giemsa's solution. From a total of 146 examined fish, 36 were parasitized on the skin, 14 in the gills and 33 on the skin and gills, simultaneously. The mean diameter of the body of the specimens of T magna was 84.3 +/- 12.6 mu m, adhesive disc 60.7 +/- 10.0 mu m, denticulate ring, 38.3 +/- 7.4 mu m, consisting of 26 (23 to 29) denticles. The only distinguishable difference from the original description was the fact that the ray of the denticle is anteriorly directed and does not extend over the y + 1 axis.