A Species of Tetrahymena Parasitic in the Renal Organ of the Slug Deroceras reticulatum

SUMMARY. A ciliate found in the renal organ of the gray garden slug, Deroceras reticulatum , is referred to Tetrahymena (Paraglaucoma) rostrata (Kahl). In the parasitic phase, the ciliate is evidently not histiophagic. It is readily cultivated in bacterized tissue infusions, and has been established in axenic culture in yeast extract. The number of complete primary ciliary meridians in ciliates of the parasitic phase has been observed to range from 41 to 58; in ciliates from cultures, the number of meridians has been observed to range from 28 to 37. In culture, the form of T. rostrata from D. reticulatum appears to be morphologically identical with a strain (NZ‐4) recovered from soil in New Zealand.