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Small ciliate, anterior region of cell is to the right. With a small number of kineties, and with cilia sparsely distributed. We are uncertain of the identity of this cell. Phase contrast micrograph.
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In vivo portrait of Pithothorax processus (Kahl, 1926), a small haptorid ciliate found in polysaprobic habitats. The body is a slightly flattened cylinder. The pellicle is rigid with longitudinal ribbing. The oral aperture is at the anterior apex surrounded by projections of the pellicular ridges. There is a curved funnel-shaped posterior process from which a long caudal cilium protrudes (seen here). The round macronucleus is anterior and the contractile vacuole is located in the posterior 1/3 at the periphery (seen here). The somatic ciliature is confined to the anterior and posterior quarters of the body. From stagnant organically enriched freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho. June 2005. DIC optics.
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Amphileptus (am-fee-lep-tus) claparedii. The body of the members of the genus Amphileptus is laterally compressed and elongate. The oral aperture is a slit on the convex edge of the neck region, and extends less than halfway down the body. Ciliation is present on both lateral surfaces although there is a tendency to some reduction on the left surface. Ciliation on the right surface is extensive and forms longitudinal rows which converge on each other in the anterior region. Trichocysts are common - particularly in neck. Macronucleus in 2 to 4 spherical parts with single micronucleus placed between macronuclei. Many contractile vacuoles occur along both dorsal and ventral edges. Lives in fresh water ponds and lakes. Squashed specimen of Amphileptus claparadeii. Macronuclei and the contractile vacuoles located at the edges are visible. Measuring 230 microns. Differential interference contrast.
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Portrait of Amphileptus filum (Gruber,1884) Gruber, 1888, a markedly elongated haptorid ciliate. Distinguished from the very similar Litonotus Cygnus by the cluster of brightly refractile trichites at the anterior tip of the neck region and the anteriorly and posteriorly converging kineties. From freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho. Phase contrast.
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A very small ciliate, the anterior end of which has protruded. There is a contractile vacuole at the posterior end and sparse ciliation. We are unsure of the identity of this organism. Phase contrast micrograph.
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Cross-sectional view of Pithothorax processus (Kahl, 1926) a small haptorid ciliate found in polysaprobic habitats. The body is a slightly flattened cylinder. The pellicle is rigid with longitudinal ribbing giving it a fluted appearance. From stagnant organically enriched freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho.June 2005. DIC.
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Portrait (left side) of the rhabdophorine ciliate, Siroloxophyllum utriculariae (Penard,1922) Foissner,1995. Siroloxophyllum was erected as a new genus based on the "adoral bulge" which encircles almost the entire circumference of the cell, a single dorsolateral brush kinety and morphologically distinct right and left Dorsolateral kineties different from other somatic kineties. The strongly laterally compressed cell is lancet shaped in outline. The cell is slightly contractile and highly flexible. The rounded anterior end is curved dorsally. The posterior is bluntly tapered. The flat right side bears 13-20 longitudinal kineties. The left side has 3-8 prominent longitudinal ridges (seen here) bearing short cilia. The slit-like cytostome is located along the anteroventral edge. A hyaline band containing long rod shaped extrusomes borders the cell. There is a distinctive structure which looks like a helix or twisted cord bordering the entire edge of the cell except for a short length of the anterior dorsal end. This is best seen at the ventral anterior end in this image (viewer's left). The perpendicularly arranged peripheral extrusomes appear to anchor their exterior ends in this structure. There are two contractile vacuoles (seen here), the anterior one just ventral to the macronuclei and the posterior one located dorsally. A food vacuole is seen immediately posterior to the macronucleus here. The central macronucleus is bipartite. The inconspicuous micronucleus is located between the two parts of the macronucleus. S. utriculariae swims slowly, gliding gracefully over the substrate. Differentiated from the similar L. helus by absence of trichocyst warts along the dorsal surface. Most easily confused with Amphileptus species which lack the distinctive bordering cord-like structure described above except for a short part of the anterior ventral surface and also have an anterior kinetal suture (spica) on the right surface. S. utriculariae may also be confused with Litonotus species which usually have a single contractile vacuole and extrusomes limited to only part of the ventral surface. Collected from a freshwater dredge pond near Boise, Idaho October 2004. DIC.
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Loxophyllum (locks-o-file-um) is one of several genera of flat gliding predatory ciliates. It glides along the substrate, exploring detritus with the anterior convex margin - which is where the mouth is located. There are rod-shaped extrusomes lying just under the cell membrane and in some species in prominences along the margins of the cell - not well developed in this cell. The extrusomes can be discharged to kill potential prey - usually other ciliates. Surface view of slightly squashed cell shows the surface folds where the rows of cilia (kineties) are located. Differential interference contrast.
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This small predatory ciliate has its mouth at the anterior end (to the left). The body is evenly ciliated but there are some longer stiff cilia near the mouth. The contractile vacuole is the light area near the end of the cell. Phase contrast microscopy.
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Lasteral view of Pithothorax processus (Kahl, 1926), a small haptorid ciliate found in polysaprobic habitats. The body is a slightly flattened cylinder. The pellicle is rigid with longitudinal ribbing. The oral aperture is at the anterior apex surrounded by projections of the pellicular ridges. There is a curved funnel-shaped posterior process from which a long caudal cilium protrudes. The round macronucleus is anterior and the contractile vacuole is located in the posterior 1/3 at the periphery. The somatic ciliature is confined to the anterior and posterior quarters of the body. From stagnant organically enriched freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho. June 2005. DIC optics.
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Complete circumoral kinety separate from somatic kineties (yellow). Extrusomes scattered randomly on each half of oral bulge (pink). extrusome (green). Clavate cilia of one of the dorsal brush rows (red).DIC.
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Portrait (right surface) of the rhabdophorine ciliate, Siroloxophyllum utriculariae (Penard,1922) Foissner,1995. Siroloxophyllum was erected as a new genus based on the "adoral bulge" which encircles almost the entire circumference of the cell, a single dorsolateral brush kinety and morphologically distinct right and left Dorsolateral kineties different from other somatic kineties. The strongly laterally compressed cell is lancet shaped in outline. The cell is slightly contractile and highly flexible. The rounded anterior end is curved dorsally. The posterior is bluntly tapered. The flat right side bears 13-20 longitudinal kineties. The left side has 3-8 prominent longitudinal ridges bearing short cilia. The slit-like cytostome is located along the anteroventral edge. A hyaline band containing long rod shaped extrusomes borders the cell. There is a distinctive structure which looks like a helix or twisted cord bordering the entire edge of the cell except for a short length of the anterior dorsal end. The perpendicularly arranged peripheral extrusomes appear to anchor their exterior ends in this structure. There are two contractile vacuoles. The central macronucleus is bipartite. The inconspicuous micronucleus is located between the two parts of the macronucleus (not seen here). S. utriculariae swims slowly, gliding gracefully over the substrate. Differentiated from the similar L. helus by absence of trichocyst warts along the dorsal surface. Most easily confused with Amphileptus species which lack the distinctive bordering cord-like structure described above above except for a short part of the anterior ventral surface and also have an anterior kinetal suture (spica) on the right surface. May also be confused with Litonotus species which usually have a single contractile vacuole and extrusomes limited to only part of the ventral surface. Collected from a freshwater dredge pond near Boise, Idaho October 2004. DIC.
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Loxophyllum (locks-o-file-um) is one of several genera of flat gliding predatory ciliates. It glides along the substrate, exploring detritus with the anterior convex margin - which is where the mouth is located. There are rod-shaped extrusomes lying just under the cell membrane and in some species in prominences along the margins of the cell - not well developed in this cell. The extrusomes can be discharged to kill potential prey - usually other ciliates. Phase contrast.
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Enchelydium fusidens KAHL, 1930. This population is about 25% smaller than the one described by KAHL.The important morphological featues (oral bulge, extrusomomes, macronucleus) match those of E. fusidens. DIC.
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Spathidium (spa-thid-ee-um) moniliforme, the body is elongate, the posterior end is bluntly pointed or rounded but the anterior end is distinctively swollen - often fan-shaped and obliquely truncated. There is an ciliated apical ridge which is lined by toxicysts. The oral aperture is a slit that lies along the length of this ridge. The cilia are uniformly distributed in longitudinal parallel rows on both lateral surfaces. The macronucleus is highly variable, often elongate, ribbon-like or moniliform. The contractile vacuole is single and at the end of the cell. Spathidium feeds on other ciliates. It lives in fresh water ponds and lakes. This specimen was collected in a freshwater pond near Konstanz, Germany. This swimming cell is 250 microns long. Differential interference contrast.
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Arcuospathidium cultriforme scalpriforme (KAHL,1930) FOISSNER,2003. Phase contrast
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Portrait (right side) of the pleurostomatid ciliate, Siroloxophyllum utriculariae (Penard,1922) Foissner,1995. Siroloxophyllum was erected as a new genus based on the "oral bulge" which encircles almost the entire circumference of the cell, a single dorsolateral brush kinety and morphologically distinct right and left dorsolateral kineties different from other somatic kineties. The strongly laterally compressed cell is lancet shaped in outline. The cell is slightly contractile and highly flexible. The rounded anterior end is curved dorsally. The posterior is bluntly tapered. The flat right side bears 13-20 longitudinal kineties. The basal bodies of one of the perioral kineties are seen well here along the ventral (viewer's right) margin. The left side has 3-8 prominent longitudinal ridges bearing short cilia. The slit-like cytostome is located along the anteroventral edge. A hyaline band borders the cell. There is a distinctive structure which looks like a helix or twisted cord bordering the entire edge of the cell except for a short length of the anterior dorsal end. This is best seen at the anterior end in this image. The perpendicularly arranged peripheral extrusomes appear to anchor their exterior ends in this structure except in a short portion of the dorsal anterior edge where extrusomes and the string-like structure bordering the cell edge are absent. SEM studies suggest that all pleurostomatid ciliates have a string-like structure on the cell margin but in other genera this occupies 1/2 the cell circumference or less. There are two contractile vacuoles (seen here), the anterior one just ventral to the macronuclei and the posterior one located dorsally. The central macronucleus is bipartite. The inconspicuous micronucleus (seen here) is located between the two parts of the macronucleus. S. utriculariae swims slowly, gliding gracefully over the substrate. Differentiated from the similar L. helus by absence of trichocyst warts along the dorsal surface. Most easily confused with Amphileptus species which lack the distinctive bordering cord-like structure around most of its circumference and also have an anterior kinetal suture (spica) on the right surface. S. utriculariae may also be confused with Litonotus species in which the oral bulge is limited to the anterior end of the ventral side. Collected from a freshwater dredge pond near Boise, Idaho October 2004. DIC.
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Loxophyllum (locks-o-file-um) a predatory ciliate. It is flattened, and glides along the substrate, exploring detritus with the anterior convex margin - which is where the mouth is located. There are extrusomes just internal to the margin of the cell, and also in some species prominences along the margins of the cell - not well developed in this cell. The extrusomes can be discharged to kill potential prey - usually other ciliates. Common. Differential interference contrast.
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Fully contracted Enchelydium fusidens KAHL, 1930. This population is about 25% smaller than the one described by Kahl.The important morphological featues (oral bulge, extrusomomes, macronucleus) match those of E. fusidens. DIC.
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Spathidium (spa-thid-ee-um) moniliforme, the body is elongate, the posterior end is bluntly pointed or rounded but the anterior end is distinctively swollen - often fan-shaped and obliquely truncated. There is an ciliated apical ridge which is lined by toxicysts. The oral aperture is a slit that lies along the length of this ridge. The cilia are uniformly distributed in longitudinal parallel rows on both lateral surfaces. The macronucleus is highly variable, often elongate, ribbon-like or moniliform. The contractile vacuole is single and at the end of the cell. Spathidium feeds on other ciliates. It lives in fresh water ponds and lakes. This cell is squashed allowing ribbon-like macronucleus and the fan-like arrangement of toxicysts at the front of the cell to be seen. Differential interference contrast.
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The posterior terminal contractile vacuole empties through multiple pores three of which are indicated within the yellow circle. DIC.
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The oral bulge of this genus extends from the anterior end around the circumference of the cell to the anterior part of the dorsal side stopping short of the anterior apex on the dorsal side. This feature is the main distinguishing feature of the genus. In other pleurostomatid genera the oral bulge, although similar in structure, extends no furthe than the posterior end of the ventral side. The oral bulge has the appearance of a helical structure or a two stranded string. The yellow arrow in this image indicates the oral bulge along the dorsal edge of the cell. It is likely that only the anterior portion of the oral bulge on the ventral surface opens during feeding. DIC.