First Data on Heterotrophic Flagellates and Heliozoans of Ethiopia

Abstract

The species composition and external morphology of heterotrophic flagellates and heliozoans were studied in the freshwater habitats of various types in Ethiopia: Lake Tana and the rivers discharging into Lake Tana; two lakes in the Rift Valley; puddles on the banks of rivers and lakes and in a rice field. Altogether, 21 species and 11 forms of flagellates and two species of heliozoans from five macrotaxonomic clusters have been recorded. Many species of heterotrophic flagellates are also known from marine and soil habitats. Most flagellates were bacterivorous, and only two species were carnivorous. Original line drawings, photographs, and descriptions of the species, with an emphasis on the cell structural features, are provided. All identified species are new to the fauna of Ethiopia.