Two colepid ciliates,
Coleps amphacanthus
Ehrenberg, 1833 and
Levicoleps biwae jejuensis
Chen et al., 2016, were first recorded in China. Their living morphology, infraciliature and small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene sequences were determined using standard methods. The improved diagnosis of
Coleps amphacanthus is as follows:cell size about 100×50 μm
in vivo, barrel-shaped; 22-28 ciliary rows each composed of about 14-21 monokinetids and two perioral dikinetids; 5-10 caudal cilia; and one terminal contractile vacuole.
Levicoleps biwae jejuensis was also investigated, with an improved diagnosis given based on previous and present work. The phylogenetic analyses based on SSU rRNA gene sequences revealed that all
Coleps
species were grouped together, except for
Coleps amphacanthus, which was grouped into a clade of the genus
Levicoleps
.