Infraciliature

Description :

Ventral (right) view of Kreyella minuta (Foissner, 1979), one of the smallest known ciliates.Probably synonymous with K. muscicola. The body outline is obovoid to reniform. Flattened ventrally and distinctly convex dorsally. Somatic ciliature is markedly reduced on the left (dorsal) side to one row of anterior dikinetids, which lie in a pellicular notch. There are three concentric semicircular kineties on the right (ventral surface). Cilia are relatively long (about 6 microns). The ventrolateral oral aperture is relatively large extending from the posterior 1/3 to almost the posterior end. There is no cytopharyngeal basket of fibers or trichites. There is a paraoral mebrane on the right margin of the vestibulum and a group of about 7 adoral membranelles on the left margin (seen here). There is a single spherical macronucleus and one micronucleus. The contractile vacuole is located in the posterior half. Scurries rapidly back and forth over the substratum. Although described as being rare, Kreyella is found frequently in freshwater ponds and irrigation ditches in Idaho. Collected from freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho in June 2003.Silver carbonate stain (see Foissner, W.Europ. J. Protistol.27,313-330;1991). Black and white.Brightfield optics.