Rumen ciliate (Protista: Ciliophora) fauna of cattle (Bos taurus Taurus, 1758) in Tunusia

In this study rumen ciliate fauna of domestic cattle (Bos taurus taurus Linnaeus, 1758) living in Tunisia was surveyed. As a result, seventeen species and ten morphotypes in nine genera were identified. The average density of ciliates in the rumen contents from 16 domestic cattle was 102,2 ± 36,6×104 cells ml−1.Values ranged from 48,6 to 156,9×104 cells ml−1. No new species is detected in this study. Most ciliates found in all 16 animals were Entodinium species, which vary from 14% to 100% of the total protozoa. Species that had the lowest frequency of appearance in this study was Hsiungia triciliata 6%. For individual cattle, the total number of species ranged from 5 to 14, with an average of 8,0 ± 3,2 (SD).