Biodiversidad de Ciliophora en México

Protozoan ciliates include about 8 000 species; actually, 959 species have been reported for Mexico or 12% of the world's records. A historical account of taxonomic and ecological studies is presented. We present data of some taxa of Phylum Ciliophora, its geographic distribution and species richness, in diverse habitats and environments. We conclude that many regions in the country for which no data on species of ciliates are available, even when they possess favorable microhabitats for the establishment of populations, make the present diversity figures to be underestimated.