Dataset of SSU rDNA, ITS-5.8S, and LSU rDNA sequences of litostomatean ciliates

For each species, either a single cell or a small number of conspecific cells were isolated and washed five times with 0.22 μm filtered in situ water. Genomic DNA was extracted using the DNeasy Blood & Tissue Kit (Qiagen, Germany), following the manufacturer's protocol with a modification in which one-quarter of the recommended reagent volumes was used.

PCR amplification was performed using Q5® Hot Start High-Fidelity 2x Master Mix DNA Polymerase (New England BioLabs, USA) to minimize experimental errors. PCR products were verified via agarose gel electrophoresis and sequenced bidirectionally by Tsingke Biological Technology Company (Qingdao, China). Sequence fragments were assembled using Seqman (DNAStar).