Protozoological monographs

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This study documents 656 species of bacteria, protists, and micro-metazoa from Simmelried, a three-hectare moorland near Constance, southern Germany. Each species is illustrated with an average of two color micrographs, and the surface organization of many main groups and ciliate species is depicted through scanning electron micrographs. The Simmelried formed approximately 15,000 years ago after the last Würm ice age, resulting from a retreating glacier that created water-filled depressions among boulder deposits. The findings suggest that the 656 species represent only two-thirds of the actual taxa present, highlighting significant microbial diversity accumulated over millennia. Notably, some common species are absent, such as the ciliate Colpidium colpoda and certain rotifers, while many undescribed species were identified. This is particularly surprising in well-known groups like euglenids and chrysophytes, indicating that some undescribed species may be regional or local endemics. The high species richness, coupled with numerous unidentified species, positions Simmelried as a regional biodiversity center that merits legal protection.