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Originally described by Ehrenberg under the name Trachelocerca olor.
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Dorsal view of the haptorid ciliate, Acropisthium mutabile (Perty, 1852). The cell body is ovoid to cylindrical. The posterior tapers to a short point. The fixation and staining process swells the cells. The anterior end forms a blunt snout with an apical cytostome. Short trichites support the cytopharynx (not seen here). There is a girdle of longer cilia just posterior to the bare anterior snout. There are 22 widely spaced uniform longitudinal somatic kineties. This individual is in the early stage of division. The equatorial band of closely spaced kintosomes will form the circumoral ciliary girdle of the posterior daughter cell (opisthe). The anterior halves of three dorsal kineties are made up of clavate (short club-shaped) cilia forming a dorsal brush (seen well in this view). Collected from freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho August 2004. This specimen is stained by a silver carbonate technique (see Foissner, W.Europ. J. Protistol.27,313-330;1991). Brightfield optics.
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Enchelyodon armatus (KAHL, 1926) KAHL, 1930.DIC.
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Mohedas de la Jara, Castille la Mancha, Spain
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Lardero, La Rioja, Spain
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Phase contrast micrograph of living cell.
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Infraciliature of a middle divider of Monodinium balbianii (FABRE_DOMERGUE,1888). The ciliary girdles of the opisthe and proter are visible here. Densely stained extrusomes are also visible.Stained by the silver carbonate technique (see Foissner, W. Europ. J. Protistol., 27:313-330;1991). Brightfield.
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Mesodinium pulex (CLAPARÃDE&LACHMANN,1859) STEIN,1867, a small haptorid ciliate. The anterior end is bluntly cone-shaped with extensile tentacular processes (attaching organism to filamentous alga in this image). Between the anterior cone and spherical posterior are a slight constriction and two girdles of cilia. The anterior girdle is grouped into three tufts in this species (yellow arrowheads). The ends of the tufts are furcate. The more posterior girdle of cilia lies close to the body at rest making it difficult to see. M. pulex, rests, motionless, or attaches by tentacular processes to the substrate and intermittently darts backwards for distances of many cell lengths. Feeds on bacteria and other protists. The two described freshwater species may differ only in the number of ciliary tufts seen in lateral view (i.e. 2 in M. arcarus and 3 in M. pulex). From freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho. Phase contrast.
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Originally described by Ehrenberg under the name Trachelocerca olor.
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Portrait of the haptorid ciliate, Acropisthium mutabile (Perty, 1852). The cell body is ovoid. The posterior tapers to a short point. The anterior end forms a blunt snout with an apical cytostome. Short trichites support the cytopharynx. There is wreath of longer cilia just posterior to the bare anterior snout. The uniform longitudinal somatic kineties are are widely spaced. Three anterior rows of clavate cilia form a dorsal brush (seen here on viewer's left anteriorly). The cytoplasm contains highly refractile crystaline inclusions. The spherical macronucleus is posterior. There is a single posterior terminal contractile vacuole. Collected from freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho May 2004. DIC optics.
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In vivo portrait of Enchelyodon armatus (KAHL,1926),KAHL,1930 demonstrating the band-form macronucleus.
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Pera, Faro, Portugal
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This pennate diatom was found in a plankton tow from Nantucket Sound off Martha's Vineyard - Massachusetts, USA. Image by Jeffrey Cole and Micah Dunthorn.
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Originally described by Schewiakoff under the name Didinium balbianii. An individual with weakly projecting mouth cone, traveling backwards. a--Anus cv--Contractile vacuole ek--Ectoplasm N--Macronucleus ncl--Micronucleus o--Mouth st--Cytopharyngeal basket W--Ciliated ring z -- Zoochlorellae
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Portrait of the haptorid ciliate, Askenasia volvox (Eichwald,1852) Kahl, 1930. The cell is spherical posteriorly and the anterior is a truncate cone.The cytostome is at the anterior apex.The cytostome is surrounded by an undulating line of granules (seen only in silver impregnated specimens).Somatic cilia are arranged in three (anterior,middle and posterior)girdles.The posterior girdle consists of long stiff bristles.The anterior cilia are directed forward and the middle girdle cilia are longer , curving backwards in a "sickle" configuration.These cilia produce the saltatory locomotion typical of this genus.The posterior of the cell is unciliated.The central macronucleus is C-shaped. There is a single subequatorial contractile vacuole. From a freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho. Phase contrast.
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Portrait of the haptorid ciliate, Acropisthium mutabile (Perty, 1852). The cell body is ovoid. The posterior tapers to a short point. The anterior end forms a blunt snout with an apical cytostome. Short trichites support the cytopharynx. There is wreath of longer cilia just posterior to the bare anterior snout. The uniform longitudinal somatic kineties are are widely spaced. Three anterior rows of clavate cilia form a dorsal brush. The cytoplasm contains highly refractile crystaline inclusions. The spherical macronucleus is posterior. There is a single posterior terminal contractile vacuole. Collected from freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho May 2004. DIC optics.
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The long oral bulge (~50% of cell length) is one of the main distinguishing features of this subspecies of A. cultriforme. This specimen is somewhat stouter than the cells described by Foissner (Protistology 4 (1), 5-55 (2005) probably due to contraction after transfer from the culture dish to the slide. When observed undisturbed under the dissecting microscope the cells appear more slender.Phase contrast.
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Pera, Faro, Portugal
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Pelagovasicola (pee-ladge-o-vee-sick-o-la) cinctum is a very fast swimming obovoid ciliate measuring 50 - 180 X 40 - 85 microns. It is common in plankton of lakes and ponds. The body is surrounded by 5-7 distinct ciliary girdles. The posterior fifth of the cell is unciliated. The contractile vacuole lies in the posterior end and has about 20 radial collecting channels. The macronucleus is kidney-shaped and lies in the mid-body. Extrusomes are arranged in the margin of the oral dome, occasionally extruded as bundles of fine filaments. This free-swimming specimen was collected in the plankton of a bog pond near Konstanz, Germany. 115 X 92 microns. Differential interference contrast.
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Originally described by Schewiakoff under the name Didinium balbianii. Shown traveling forward, with mouth cone extended. a--Anus cv--contractile vacuole ek--Ectoplasm N--Macronucleus nk--Food particle o--Mouth st--Cytopharyngeal basket W--Ciliated ring
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Posterior apical view of the haptorid ciliate,Askenasia volvox (Eichwald,1852) Kahl, 1930. The cell is spherical posteriorly and the anterior is a truncate cone.The cytostome is at the anterior apex.The cytostome is surrounded by an undulating line of granules (seen only in silver impregnated specimens).Somatic cilia are arranged in three (anterior,middle and posterior)girdles.The posterior girdle consists of long stiff bristles (seen here).The anterior cilia are directed forward and the middle girdle cilia are longer,curving backwards in a "sickle" configuration.These cilia produce the saltatory locomotion typical of this genus (they are seen well in this image).The posterior of the cell is unciliated.The central macronucleus is C-shaped. There is a single subequatorial contractile vacuole. From a freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho. Phase contrast.
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Homalozoon, a elongate ribbon-like predatory ciliate. The body is truncated (cut) off at the front end where the mouth is located, and pointed posteriorly. It has rows of cilia mostly on the ventral side, it glides over the substrate, sometimes contracting. Feeds on detritus and other protists. This image shows the line of contractile vacuoles which extends along the body. Flattened. Phase contrast micrograph.
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Portrait of the haptorid ciliate, Acropisthium mutabile (Perty, 1852). The cell body is ovoid. The posterior tapers to a short point. The anterior end forms a blunt snout with an apical cytostome. Short trichites support the cytopharynx. There is wreath of longer cilia just posterior to the bare anterior snout. The uniform longitudinal somatic kineties are are widely spaced. Three anterior rows of clavate cilia form a dorsal brush. The cytoplasm contains highly refractile crystaline inclusions. The ellipsoid macronucleus is seen just anterior to the contractile vacuole. There is a single posterior terminal contractile vacuole. Collected from freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho February 2005. DIC optics.