Dysteriida

Portrait of the marine Phyllopharyngeid ciliate, Dysteria brasiliensis (Da Cunha, De Faria & Pinto, 1922). This is one of the largest species of this genus (100-130 um). The cell is elongate and dorsoventrally flattened. The dorsum is arched. The anterior end is truncate and curves dorsally. The posterior terminates in a sharp spinous process (seen here) not to be confused with the ventral posterior podite by which the cell attaches to the substrate (not seen in this image)The pellicle is rigid and colorless. The ciliature is reduced to the ventral surface with 3 longitudinal kineties on the right and 7-8 on the left. There are 2 frontoventral kineties. The cytostome is supported by two stout obliquely situated rods with anterior tooth-like projections. The cytoplasm contains food vacuoles brightly colored with green algae and purple sulfur bacteria. There are two contractile vacuoles. There is a central ellipsoid macronucleus. Collected from a commercial saltwater aquarium in Boise, Idaho. March 2004. DIC optics.

Portrait of the marine Phyllopharyngeid ciliate, Dysteria brasiliensis Da Cunha, De Faria & Pinto, 1922. This is one of the largest species of this genus (100-130 um). The cell is elongate and dorsoventrally flattened. The dorsum is arched. The anterior end is truncate and curves dorsally. The posterior terminates in a sharp spinous process (seen here) not to be confused with the ventral posterior podite by which the cell attaches to the substrate (not seen in this image)The pellicle is rigid and colorless. The ciliature is reduced to the ventral surface with 3 longitudinal kineties on the right and 7-8 on the left. There are 2 frontoventral kineties. The cytostome is supported by two stout obliquely situated rods with anterior tooth-like projections. The cytoplasm contains food vacuoles brightly colored with green algae and purple sulfur bacteria. There are two contractile vacuoles. There is a central ellipsoid macronucleus. Collected from a commercial saltwater aquarium in Boise, Idaho. March 2004. DIC.

Surface detail of the marine Phyllopharyngeid ciliate, Dysteria brasiliensis Da Cunha, De Faria & Pinto, 1922. This is one of the largest species of this genus (100-130 um).The posterior terminates in a sharp spinous process (slightly out of focus here) not to be confused with the ventral posterior podite by which the cell attaches to the substrate. The podite is angled anteriorly in this image (the the viewer's right).Collected from a commercial saltwater aquarium in Boise, Idaho. March 2004. DIC. 

Dysteria (dist-ear-ee-a) is a hypostome ciliate. Like other hypostomes it favours particular food such as algae. The cell on the right has eaten blue-green (bacterial) algae and red (purple) sulphur bacteria. They can pick up their food using a jaw system made of stout rods capped with teeth. The tip of one of these rods can be seen inside the cell at about 1 o clock from the centre of the cell. Cilia in this genus are restricted to a broad band running along the lateral margins of the cell. There is also a collection of cilia that form a podite - or attachment structure. Differential interference contrast.

Dysteria (dist-ear-ee-a) is a hypostome ciliate. Like other hypostomes it favours particular food such as algae. The cell on the right has eaten blue-green (bacterial) algae and red (purple) sulphur bacteria. They can pick up their food using a jaw system made of stout rods capped with teeth. Cilia in this genus are restricted to a broad band running along the lateral margins of the cell. There is also a collection of cilia that form a podite - or attachment structure. Differential interference contrast.

Dysteria (dist-ear-ee-a) is a hypostome ciliate. Like other hypostomes it favours particular food such as algae. The cell on the right has eaten blue-green (bacterial) algae and red (purple) sulphur bacteria. They can pick up their food using a jaw system made of stout rods capped with teeth. Cilia in this genus are restricted to a broad band running along the lateral margins of the cell. there is also a collection of cilia that form a podite - or attachment structure. Phase contrast.

Dysteria (dist-ear-ee-a) is a hypostome ciliate. Like other hypostomes it favours particular food such as algae. The cell on the right has eaten blue-green (bacterial) algae and red (purple) sulphur bacteria. They can pick up their food using a jaw system made of stout rods capped with teeth. Cilia in this genus are restricted to a broad band running along the lateral margins of the cell. there is also a collection of cilia that form a podite - or attachment structure. This species is distinctive because it contains numerous green symbiotic algae. Differential interference contrast.

This image shows that the ventral side of this ciliate only has cilia on the right side (the image shows the ventral side as if viewed from the ventral side). There is a small tuft of a few closely packed cilia at the posterior end. Phase contrast micrograph. 

Ventral view of the dysteriid ciliate, Trochilia minuta (Roux, 1899) Kahl, 1931. The ventral surface is flat and the dorsum is strongly arched. Ciliature is restricted to the ventral surface except for a small dorsal brush on the left anteriorly. There are four right-sided ventral kineties. The two right-most kineties arch anterior to the cytostome to terminate at the left anterior end of the cell. There are two short preoral kineties and two very short left ventral kineties at the level of the cytostome. The cytopharynx is supported by two stout nematodesmata. There are two contractile vacuoles. There is a posteroventral adhesive podite seen here projecting beyond the posterior end of the cell. The ovoid macronucleus is heteromerous . From a freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho. DIC.

Lateral view of the dysteriid ciliate, Trochilia minuta (Roux, 1899) Kahl, 1931. The cell is ellipsoid in outline. The ventral surface is flat and the dorsum is strongly arched. Ciliature is restricted to the ventral surface except for a small dorsal brush on the left anteriorly. There are four right-sided ventral kineties. The two right-most kineties arch anterior to the cytostome to terminate at the left anterior end of the cell. There are two short preoral kineties and two very short left ventral kineties at the level of the cytostome. The cytopharynx is supported by two stout nematodesmata. There are two contractile vacuoles. There is a posteroventral adhesive podite seen here projecting beyond the posterior end of the cell. The ovoid macronucleus is heteromerous . From a freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho. Brightfield illumination.

Dorsolateral view of the dysteriid ciliate, Trochilia minuta (Roux, 1899) Kahl, 1931. The ventral surface is flat and the dorsum is strongly arched. Ciliature is restricted to the ventral surface except for a small dorsal brush on the left anteriorly. There are four right-sided ventral kineties. The two right-most kineties arch anterior to the cytostome to terminate at the left anterior end of the cell. There are two short preoral kineties and two very short left ventral kineties at the level of the cytostome. The cytopharynx is supported by two stout nematodesmata (seen well here). There are two contractile vacuoles. There is a posteroventral adhesive podite seen here projecting beyond the posterior end of the cell. The ovoid macronucleus is heteromerous (seen well here dorsal to the posterior end of the cytopharynx). From a freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho. DIC.

Ventral infraciliature of (ROUX,189Trochilia minuta9) KAHL,1931.The dark blue arrowhead indicates one of the 4 right somatic kineties.The pink arrowhead marks the 2 short left somatic kineties. The red arrowhead indicates the 2 curved perioral kineties anterior to the oral apparatus (yellow arrowhead). The light blue arrowhead marks the equatorial remnant basal bodies of the left somatic ciliary field.The green arrowhead marks densely impregnated granular material at the location of the posterior podite. the attached tendril may represent material secreted by the podite. For further details see: Deroux, G. Plan cortical des Cyrtophorida.III- les structures différenciatrices chez les Dysteriina. Protistologica 12 (No.4) p. 505-538, 1976. Collected from stagnant organically enriched water at the edge of a freshwater stream near Boise, Idaho. May 2007. Stained by the silver carbonate technique (Foissner,W. Europ. J. Protistol.27:313-330;1991).Brightfield.

Ventral infraciliature of Trochilia minuta (ROUX,1899) KAHL,1931. Collected from stagnant organically enriched water at the edge of a freshwater stream near Boise, Idaho. May 2007. Stained by the silver carbonate technique (Foissner,W. Europ. J. Protistol.27:313-330;1991).Brightfield.

Ventral view of the small marine dysteriid ciliate, Trochilia sigmoides (Dujardin,1841).This is the type species for the genus, Trochilia.The cell outline is ovoid. The dorsum is arched with deep S-shaped grooves.The ventral surface is flat. Ciliature is restricted to the ventral surface except for a small left anterior dorsal brush (visible at the shallow notch in this view.Several right somatic kineties are visible here.The ventral cytostome is supported by two stout nematodesmata (the anterior ends of which are seen here). There is a prominent posteroventral adhesive podite seen end-on here.Collected from tide pools at Alkai Beach,Seattle, Washington 47°35'41.87" N;122° 23'17.57" W.January 2006.DIC.

Dorsal view of the small marine dysteriid ciliate, Trochilia sigmoides (Dujardin,1841).This is the type species for the genus, Trochilia.The cell outline is ovoid. The dorsum is arched with deep S-shaped grooves.The ventral surface is flat. Ciliature is restricted to the ventral surface except for a small left anterior dorsal brush.The ventral cytostome is supported by two stout nematodesmata. There is a prominent posteroventral adhesive podite. Collected from tide pools at Alkai Beach,Seattle washingto 47°35'41.87" N;122° 23'17.57" W.January 2006.DIC.

Dorsal view of the small marine dysteriid ciliate, Trochilia sigmoides (Dujardin,1841).This is the type species for the genus, Trochilia.The cell outline is ovoid. The dorsum is arched with deep S-shaped grooves.The ventral surface is flat. Ciliature is restricted to the ventral surface except for a small left anterior dorsal brush.The ventral cytostome is supported by two stout nematodesmata. There is a prominent posteroventral adhesive podite. There are two contractile vacuoles one of which is visible here.The macronucleus is hetereomerous.Collected from tide pools at Alkai Beach,Seattle, Washington 47°35'41.87" N;122° 23'17.57" W.January 2006.DIC.

Lateral view of the small marine dysteriid ciliate, Trochilia sigmoides (Dujardin,1841).This is the type species for the genus, Trochilia.The cell outline is ovoid. The dorsum is arched with deep S-shaped grooves.The ventral surface is flat. Ciliature is restricted to the ventral surface except for a small left anterior dorsal brush.The ventral cytostome is supported by two stout nematodesmata. There is a prominent posteroventral adhesive podite(seen well here to viewer's left). Collected from tide pools at Alkai Beach,Seattle,Washington 47°35'41.87" N;122° 23'17.57" W.January 2006.DIC.

Ventral view of the small marine dysteriid ciliate, Trochilia sigmoides (Dujardin,1841).This is the type species for the genus, Trochilia.The cell outline is ovoid. The dorsum is arched with deep S-shaped grooves.The ventral surface is flat. Ciliature is restricted to the ventral surface except for a small left anterior dorsal brush.Several right somatic kineties are visible here.The ventral cytostome is supported by two stout nematodesmata (the anterior ends of which are seen here). There is a prominent posteroventral adhesive podite (seen here).Collected from tide pools at Alkai Beach,Seattle,Washington 47°35'41.87" N;122°23'17.57" W.January 2006.DIC.

Ventral view of the small marine dysteriid ciliate, Trochilia sigmoides (Dujardin,1841).This is the type species for the genus, Trochilia.The cell outline is ovoid. The dorsum is arched with deep S-shaped grooves.The ventral surface is flat. Ciliature is restricted to the ventral surface except for a small left anterior dorsal brush. Several right somatic kineties are visible here.The ventral cytostome is supported by two stout nematodesmata (seen here). There is a prominent posteroventral adhesive podite (seen here).Collected from tide pools at Alkai Beach,Seattle,Washington 47°35'41.87" N;122°23'17.57" W.January 2006.DIC.

Ventral view of the small marine dysteriid ciliate, Trochilia sigmoides (Dujardin,1841).This is the type species for the genus, Trochilia.The cell outline is ovoid. The dorsum is arched with deep S-shaped grooves.The ventral surface is flat. Ciliature is restricted to the ventral surface except for a small left anterior dorsal brush. The right somatic kineties are visible here (arrow).The ventral cytostome is supported by two stout nematodesmata (large arrowhead). Two short left kineties are seen just to the left and anterior to the cytostome (small arrowhead).Collected from tide pools at Alkai Beach,Seattle,Washington 47°35'41.87" N;122°23'17.57" W.January 2006.DIC.

Ventral surface of the dysterine ciliate Orthotrochilia pilula (Deroux, 1976) Song, 2003. The cell is an elongate ellipse in outline. The anterior and posterior ends are broadly rounded. The dorsal surface is arched and the ventral surface flattened. The colorless pellicle is somewhat flexible. The anterior cytostome is inconspicuous and the fine supporting cytopharyngeal rods are seldom visible in vivo even with DIC. The somatic ciliature is restricted to the ventral surface. The two rightmost kineties arch around the cytostome reaching the left anterior side. A small kinetal fragment occupies the left anterior projection of the cell (cilia of this fragment are seen in this image). There are seven postoral kineties, which progressively shorten from right to left. There are two short oblique perioral kineties anterior to and on either side of the cytostome. There is a small posterior podite just to the left of the posterior termination of the right somatic kineties. The podite is often difficult to visualize in vivo. There are two contractile vacuoles just to the right of the midline. There is an ellipsoid heteromerous macronucleus in the midbody. Orthotrochilia pilula is the only species of this genus found in freshwater to date. O. pilula has also been found in a marine habitat providing the basis for reestablishment of the genus by Song (Song, W. Hydrobiologia 499:169-177,2003). Collected from a freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho January, 2005. DIC.

Ventral surface of the dysterine ciliate Orthotrochilia pilula (Deroux, 1976) Song, 2003. The cell is an elongate ellipse in outline. The anterior and posterior ends are broadly rounded. The dorsal surface is arched and the ventral surface flattened. The colorless pellicle is somewhat flexible. The anterior cytostome is inconspicuous and the fine supporting cytopharyngeal rods are seldom visible in vivo even with DIC. The somatic ciliature is restricted to the ventral surface. The two rightmost kineties arch around the cytostome reaching the left anterior side. A small kinetal fragment occupies the left anterior projection of the cell (cilia of this fragment are seen in this image). There are seven postoral kineties, which progressively shorten from right to left. There are two short oblique perioral kineties anterior to and on either side of the cytostome. There is a small posterior podite just to the left of the posterior termination of the right somatic kineties. The podite is often difficult to visualize in vivo. There are two contractile vacuoles just to the right of the midline. There is an ellipsoid heteromerous macronucleus in the midbody. Orthotrochilia pilula is the only species of this genus found in freshwater to date. O. pilula has also been found in a marine habitat providing the basis for reestablishment of the genus by Song (Song, W. Hydrobiologia 499:169-177,2003). Collected from a freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho January, 2005. DIC.