Pleuronematida

Calyptotricha (kah-lip-toe-trike-a) pleuronemoides is an ovoid to pyriform ciliate. The ciliate forms a transparent lorica. The lorica is tube-like and has apertures at both ends. The middle the tube can have parallel sides or a central bulbous region in which the ciliate is housed. The undulating membrane of the oral aperture stretches down the right side of the body to form a pouch in the posterior body half. Extrusomes are present. There is a conspicuous caudal cilium. Contractile vacuole in posterior body region. The macronucleus is spherical with attached micronuclei. Several endosymbiotic algae are visible and the conspicuous caudal cilium. Ciliate measuring 28 microns, lorica 64 microns. This specimen was collected in freshwater ponds near Konstanz, Germany. Differencial interference contrast.

Portrait (ventral surface) of the pleuronematine scuticociliate, Cristigera phoenix (Penard, 1922). Collected from a freshwater aquaculture pond near Boise, Idaho November 2004. DIC.

Portrait (left side) of the pleuronematine scuticociliate, Ctedoctema acanthocryptum (Stokes, 1884). The species name has been corrected by Foissner from acanthocrypta to acanthocryptum to agree with the neuter genus name.Small elongate to oval ciliate that is slightly dorsoventrally compressed. There is a prominent paraoral membrane, which begins subapically and extends approximately two-third down the length of the cell in a shallow groove. The cytostome is at the posterior end of this groove. There is a three part adoral zone of membranelles on the left of the peristome. M1 is a longitudinal array of dikinetids from the sub-apical pole to about midway down the cell. M2 and M3 are small, oblique patches of kinetids posterior to M1. Somatic ciliation uniform. There is a small unciliated “frontal plate” at the anterior apex. The edge of the pellicle appears slightly serrated. Numerous trichocysts present. Ovoid macronucleus in anterior body half. The contractile vacuole is posterior subterminal. Collected from freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho October 2004. DIC optics.

The species now known as Peniculistoma mytili was first described as Conchopthirus mytili by William De Morgan in 1925 in an article in the Journal of the Marine Biological Association (vol 13, 600-660).

Canencia, Madrid, Spain

Logroo, La Rioja, Espaa

Longitude (deg): -0.7. Latitude (deg): 51.1. Longitude (deg/min): 0° 50' W. Latitude (deg/min): 51° 10' N. Vice county name: Surrey. Vice county no.: 17. Country: England. Associated species: Marchantia polymorpha. Identified by: Malcolm Storey. Comment: with Marchantia polymorpha. Category: standard photograph or close-up. Photographic equipment used: "35mm transparencies (on a variety of films, but Agfa CT18 in the 1960's to early 1980's followed by Fujichrome in the late 1980's.) Transparencies scanned with Minolta Dimage Scan Dual II AF-2820U transparency scanner.".

Calyptotricha (kah-lip-toe-trike-a) pleuronemoides is an ovoid to pyriform ciliate. The ciliate forms a transparent lorica. The lorica is tube-like and has apertures at both ends. The middle the tube can have parallel sides or a central bulbous region in which the ciliate is housed. The undulating membrane of the oral aperture stretches down the right side of the body to form a pouch in the posterior body half. Extrusomes are present. There is a conspicuous caudal cilium. Contractile vacuole in posterior body region. The macronucleus is spherical with attached micronuclei. This image taken shortly after cell division when there are two specimens in the lorica. Lorica measuring 68 microns. This specimen was collected in freshwater ponds near Konstanz, Germany. Differential interference contrast.

Portrait (ventral surface) of the pleuronematine scuticociliate, Cristigera phoenix (Penard, 1922). Collected from a freshwater aquaculture pond near Boise, Idaho November 2004. DIC.

Ventral infraciliature of the pleuronematine scuticociliate, Ctedoctema acanthocryptum (Stokes, 1884). The species name has been corrected by Foissner from acanthocrypta to acanthocryptum to agree with the neuter genus name.Small elongate to oval ciliate that is slightly dorsoventrally compressed. There is a prominent paraoral membrane (seen here), which begins subapically and extends approximately two-third down the length of the cell on the right side of a shallow groove. The cytostome is at the posterior end of this groove. There is a three part adoral zone of membranelles on the left of the peristome. M1 is a longitudinal array of dikinetids from the sub-apical pole to about midway down the cell. The posterior end of M1 is obscured here by the densely stained macronucleus. M2 and M3 are small, oblique patches of kinetids posterior to M1. M2 is obscured by the macronucleus. M3 is seen here just posterior to the macronucleus. Somatic ciliation uniform. There is a small unciliated “frontal plate” at the anterior apex(seen here). The edge of the pellicle appears slightly serrated. Numerous trichocysts present. Ovoid macronucleus in anterior body half. The contractile vacuole is posterior subterminal. Collected from freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho October 2004. Silver carbonate stain (see Foissner, W.Europ. J. Protistol.27, 313-330; 1991). Brightfield optics. 

Image of Peniculistoma mytili (endocommensal of the blue mussel Mytilis edulis) using DIC optics. Image by G. A. Antipa.

Galende, Castille and Leon, Spain

Talveila, Castille and Leon, Spain

Portrait of the loricate pleuronematid ciliate, Calyptotricha pleuronemoides (Phillips, 1882). The transparent lorica of this species is open at both ends and dilated in the center where the cell resides. The cell is bluntly pointed anteriorly and broadly rounded posteriorly. The peristome is about 3/4 cell length. There is a prominent undulating membrane on the right margin of the peristome curving around its posterior end to form a shallow pouch (seen well here). There are three inconspicuous adoral membranelles. The longitudinal somatic kineties are uniformly distributed. There is a preoral and postoral suture. There is a single long caudal cilium. There is a single posterior contractile vacuole. The spherical macronucleus is centrally located. C. lanuginosa is similar in appearance of the cell except that it has two long anterior apical cilia and a cylindrical lorica with parallel sides. Collected from a freshwater dredge pond near Idaho City, Idaho June 2003. DIC.

Stained by the silver carbonate technique (see Foissner, W. Europ. J. Protistol., 27:313-330;1991).Brightfield.

Ventral infraciliature of the pleuronematine scuticociliate, Ctedoctema acanthocryptum (Stokes, 1884). The species name has been corrected by Foissner from acanthocrypta to acanthocryptum to agree with the neuter genus name.Small elongate to oval ciliate that is slightly dorsoventrally compressed. There is a prominent paraoral membrane (seen here), which begins subapically and extends approximately two-third down the length of the cell on the right side of a shallow groove. The cytostome is at the posterior end of this groove. There is a three part adoral zone of membranelles on the left of the peristome. M1 is a longitudinal array of dikinetids from the sub-apical pole to about midway down the cell. The posterior end of M1 is obscured here by the densely stained macronucleus. M2 and M3 are small, oblique patches of kinetids posterior to M1. Both M2 and M3 are seen here just posterior to the macronucleus. Somatic ciliation uniform. There is a small unciliated “frontal plate” at the anterior apex. The edge of the pellicle appears slightly serrated. Numerous trichocysts present. Ovoid macronucleus in anterior body half. The contractile vacuole is posterior subterminal. Collected from freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho October 2004. Silver carbonate stain (see Foissner, W.Europ. J. Protistol.27, 313-330; 1991). DIC optics. 

Left image: Live specimen imaged using DIC optics; Right image: protargol-stained specimen. Images by G. A. Antipa

Hoyo de Manzanares, Madrid, Spain

Images from the species description by Antipa & Dolan (1985)

Portrait of the loricate pleuronematid ciliate, Calyptotricha pleuronemoides (Phillips, 1882). The transparent lorica of this species is open at both ends and dilated in the center where the cell resides. The cell is bluntly pointed anteriorly and broadly rounded posteriorly. The peristome is about 3/4 cell length. There is a prominent undulating membrane on the right margin of the peristome curving around its posterior end to form a shallow pouch. There are three inconspicuous adoral membranelles. The longitudinal somatic kineties are uniformly distributed. There is a preoral and postoral suture. There is a single long caudal cilium. There is a single posterior contractile vacuole. The spherical macronucleus is centrally located. C. lanuginosa is similar in appearance of the cell except that it has two long anterior apical cilia and a cylindrical lorica with parallel sides. Collected from a freshwater dredge pond near Idaho City, Idaho June 2003. DIC.

Stained by the silver carbonate technique (see Foissner, W. Europ. J. Protistol., 27:313-330;1991).Brightfield.

Portrait (left side) of the pleuronematine scuticociliate, Ctedoctema acanthocryptum (Stokes, 1884). The species name has been corrected by Foissner from acanthocrypta to acanthocryptum to agree with the neuter genus name.Small elongate to oval ciliate that is slightly dorsoventrally compressed. There is a prominent paraoral membrane, which begins subapically and extends approximately two-third down the length of the cell in a shallow groove. The cytostome is at the posterior end of this groove. There is a three part adoral zone of membranelles on the left of the peristome. M1 is a longitudinal array of dikinetids from the sub-apical pole to about midway down the cell. M2 and M3 are small, oblique patches of kinetids posterior to M1. Somatic ciliation uniform. There is a small unciliated “frontal plate” at the anterior apex. The edge of the pellicle appears slightly serrated. Numerous trichocysts present. Ovoid macronucleus in anterior body half. The contractile vacuole is posterior subterminal. Collected from freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho October 2004. DIC optics. 

Ribadelago de Franco, Castille and Leon, Spain

Left panel: live specimen imaged with DIC optics (image by G.A. Antipa); right panel: protargol-stained specimen (image by D.H. Lynn).