Hydrogenosome‐Methanogen Assemblages in the Echinoid Endocommensal Plagiopylid Ciliates, Lechriopyla mystax Lynch, 1930 and Plagiopyla minuta Powers, 19331

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Abstract
Lechriopyla mystax Lynch, 1930 and Plagiopyla minula Powers, 1933 contain hydrogenosome‐methanogen assemblages similar to those reported for other plagiopylid ciliates. These assemblages are stacks of elongate ovoid hydrogenosomes alternating with methanogens; these stacks are surrounded by cisternae of the rough endoplasmic reticulum that are often accompanied by Golgi complexes. The individual methanogens in the larger ciliate, L. mystax, are about four times the volume of those in the smaller ciliate, P. minuta, but both ciliates appear to contain Gram‐negative methanococcoid bacteria, possibly Methanoplanus sp. The endoplasmic reticulum‐Golgi complex probably plays a significant role in exploitation of the methanogens by the host ciliate.