Rumen ciliate fauna (Ciliophora, Protista) of Turkish domestic goats living in İzmir, Turkey

Abstract

Species composition and distribution of rumen ciliates were investigated in the rumen contents of 15 domestic goats living in İzmir, Turkey. Nineteen species and 10 morphotypes belonging to 7 genera were identified. The mean number of ciliates was (94.3 ± 33.4) × 104 cells mL–1 rumen contents, which is higher than that of other goat hosts reported from Turkey and the world. The mean number of ciliate species per host was 9.2 ± 3.4. Entodinium semahatae, E. rostratum, and Ophryoscolex purkynjei m. bifidoquadricinctus are new host records for goats. This is only the second reported occurrence of E. semahatae in herbivorous mammals. E. nanellum was found to be the dominant species occurring in all animals.