Journal of Siberian Federal University. Biology / Response of the Rotifer Philodina cf. megalotrocha (Ehrenberg, 1832) from Water Bodies in the Mountainous Crimea to Artificial Physical Stimuli

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Issue
Journal of Siberian Federal University. Biology. 2025 18 (2)
Authors
Rudʹ, Ekaterina V.; Tarasova, Maria A.; Savitsky, Maxim A.; Kurchenko, Vyacheslav M.; Kuznetsov, Andrew V.
Contact information
Rudʹ, Ekaterina V.: Center of Additional Education “Small Academy of Sciences” Sevastopol, Russian Federation; Tarasova, Maria A. : Center of Additional Education “Small Academy of Sciences” Sevastopol, Russian Federation; Savitsky, Maxim A. : Russian State Agrarian University-Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy Moscow, Russian Federation; Kurchenko, Vyacheslav M. : Sevastopol State University Sevastopol, Russian Federation; Kuznetsov, Andrew V. : Center of Additional Education “Small Academy of Sciences” Sevastopol, Russian Federation; Sevastopol State University Sevastopol, Russian Federation; A. O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas RAS Sevastopol, Russian Federation; ; ORCID: 0000-0002-0015-7994
Keywords
Rotifera; Rotatoria; Bdelloida; rotifers; Rotifera; Rotatoria; Bdelloida; physical stimuli; opsins
Abstract

A rotifer with a body size of 300 μm, having a goblet-shaped body with a funnel-like structure lined with cilia, divided into two symmetrical parts capable of generating two circular water currents, was isolated from the integrated sample collected from three freshwater bodies in the mountainous Crimea region. The rotifer has a discernible rostrum on the head and two spurs on the foot, which enable its locomotion on the substrate. The mobile mastax, stomach, and cloaca are visible. The discovered morphotype is similar to the rotifer Philodina megalotrocha (Ehrenberg, 1832), which is widely distributed in freshwater habitats across Europe. The isolated rotifer did not respond to artificial mechanical and electrical stimuli but instantly reacted to what was theorized to be potentially dangerous stimuli, such as the abrupt touching of its cilia with a foreign object. Additionally, the animal exhibited a negative response to violet- blue light (405 nm). The rotifer stopped moving its cilia, extended its rostrum, attempted to crawl away, and ultimately swam away from the light source. Opsin-like proteins, structurally corresponding to the opsins of other multicellular organisms, have been identified using bioinformatics analysis in rotifers with known genomes, such as Brachionus plicatilis (Müller, 1786) and Rotaria magnacalcarata (Parsons, 1892). The incorporation of a retinal molecule into opsin models has been demonstrated. The data obtained in the present study suggest the context-dependent processing of external signals by organisms such as rotifers

Pages
190–205
EDN
XTVUDL
Paper at repository of SibFU
https://elib.sfu-kras.ru/handle/2311/156628

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