Rumen Ciliate Biota of Domestic Cattle (Bos taurus taurus) in İstanbul, Turkey and Infraciliature of Metadinium medium (Entodiniomorphida, Ophryoscolecidae)

The species composition and distribution of ciliates were investigated in the rumen contents of 15 domestic cattle (Bos taurus taurus L.) living in the European part of İstanbul, Turkey. Thirty-five species and 13 morphotypes belonging to 13 genera were identified. The density of rumen ciliates in cattle was 31.8 (± 21.3) × 104 cells ml−1, and the mean number of ciliate species per host was 12.9 ± 4.4. Of the ciliate species, Dasytricha ruminantium, Entodinium simulans, and Isotricha prostoma were the most abundant, each with a prevalence of 93.3%, whereas Diplodinium anisacanthum, D. dogieli, D. rangiferi, Enoploplastron triloricatum, Metadinium medium, and Ostracodinium munham were detected only in one animal (6.7% prevalence). Eodinium posterovesiculatum m. bilobosum and D. dogieli are new host records for cattle in Turkey. The infraciliature of M. medium (Entodiniomorphida, Ophryoscolecidae) was examined and detected for the first time. The buccal infraciliature of M. medium was composed of three polybrachykineties, a kinety loop, and paralabial kineties. A large dorso-adoral polybrachykinety, a gentle S-shaped curved vestibular polybrachykinety, and a kinety loop between the dorso-adoral polybrachykinety and adoral polybrachykinety were characteristics. Because of these features, M. medium-type buccal infraciliature was between the Ostracodinium gracile-type buccal infraciliature and the Ostracodinium mammosum-type buccal infraciliature.