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Bryometopus (bry-o-me-toe-puss) is a uniformly ciliated and the cell is rounded at both poles and is slightly reniform. The conspicuous peristome lies obliquely across the ventral surface. The single contractile vacuole is located approximately in the middle of the cell on the ventral side. The macronucleus may be oval or elongate with several micronuclei. Bryometopus can be confused with Balantidioides which does not have an undulating membrane and with Condylostoma which has a wide triangular peristome and a highly conspicuous undulating membrane. This cell with a buccal cavitiy up to the first third of the cell. The posterior half of the cell is filled with endosymbitic algae. Measuring 120 microns. This specimen was collected in freshwater ponds near Konstanz, Germany. Differencial interference contrast.
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Right ventrolateral view of the colpodid ciliate, Bryometopus atypicus (Foissner,1980). Similar in overall shape to Colpoda maupasi. The dorsum of the cell is convex and the ventral surface straight. The subapical cytostome occupies the anterior 1/4 of the cell length.It is slightly oblique to the long axis of the cell. The somatic kineties (composed of dikinetids) are moderately spiralled curving around the cytostome to end on a short preoral suture.Approximately 7 postoral kineties terminate on the left border of the cytostome.There is a slightly curved right paraoral membrane and an adoral zone of membranelles on the left border of the cytostome.Rows of mucocysts occur between somatic kineties.The spherical macronucleus and adjacent single micronucleus is in the cell center.The posterior contractile vacuole has a distinctive large cylindrical excretory pore.Zoochlorellae are absent.Collected from an organically enriched rainwater pool with abundant decaying grass in Boise, Idaho. January 2006.DIC.
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Ventral view of the colpodid ciliate, Bryometopus atypicus (Foissner,1980). Similar in overall shape to Colpoda maupasi. The dorsum of the cell is convex and the ventral surface straight. The subapical cytostome occupies the anterior 1/4 of the cell length.It is slightly oblique to the long axis of the cell. The somatic kineties (composed of dikinetids) are moderately spiralled curving around the cytostome to end on a short preoral suture.Approximately 7 postoral kineties terminate on the left border of the cytostome.There is a slightly curved right paraoral membrane and an adoral zone of membranelles on the left border of the cytostome.Rows of mucocysts occur between somatic kineties.The spherical macronucleus and adjacent single micronucleus is in the cell center.The posterior contractile vacuole has a distinctive large cylindrical excretory pore.Zoochlorellae are absent.Collected from an organically enriched rainwater pool with abundant decaying grass in Boise, Idaho. January 2006.DIC.
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Right ventrolateral view of the colpodid ciliate, Bryometopus atypicus (Foissner,1980). Similar in overall shape to Colpoda maupasi. The dorsum of the cell is convex and the ventral surface straight. The subapical cytostome occupies the anterior 1/4 of the cell length.It is slightly oblique to the long axis of the cell. The somatic kineties (composed of dikinetids) are moderately spiralled curving around the cytostome to end on a short preoral suture.Approximately 7 postoral kineties terminate on the left border of the cytostome.There is a slightly curved right paraoral membrane and an adoral zone of membranelles on the left border of the cytostome.Rows of mucocysts occur between somatic kineties.The spherical macronucleus and adjacent single micronucleus is in the cell center.The posterior contractile vacuole has a distinctive large cylindrical excretory pore (yellow arrow).Zoochlorellae are absent.Collected from an organically enriched rainwater pool with abundant decaying grass in Boise, Idaho. January 2006.DIC.
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Ventral view of the infraciliature of the colpodid ciliate, Bryometopus atypicus (Foissner,1980). Similar in overall shape to Colpoda maupasi. The dorsum of the cell is convex and the ventral surface straight. The subapical cytostome occupies the anterior 1/4 of the cell length.It is slightly oblique to the long axis of the cell. The somatic kineties (composed of dikinetids) are moderately spiralled curving around the cytostome to end on a short preoral suture.Approximately 7 postoral kineties terminate on the left border of the cytostome.There is a slightly curved right paraoral membrane and an adoral zone of membranelles on the left border of the cytostome.Rows of mucocysts occur between somatic kineties.The spherical macronucleus and adjacent single micronucleus is in the cell center.The posterior contractile vacuole has a distinctive large cylindrical excretory pore.Zoochlorellae are absent.Collected from an organically enriched rainwater pool with abundant decaying grass in Boise, Idaho. January 2006.Stained by the silver carbonate technique (see Foissner, W. Europ. J. Protistol., 27:313-330;1991).Brightfield.
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Dorsal view of the infraciliature of the colpodid ciliate, Bryometopus atypicus (Foissner,1980). Similar in overall shape to Colpoda maupasi. The dorsum of the cell is convex and the ventral surface straight. The subapical cytostome occupies the anterior 1/4 of the cell length.It is slightly oblique to the long axis of the cell. The somatic kineties (composed of dikinetids) are moderately spiralled curving around the cytostome to end on a short preoral suture.Approximately 7 postoral kineties terminate on the left border of the cytostome.There is a slightly curved right paraoral membrane and an adoral zone of membranelles on the left border of the cytostome.Rows of mucocysts occur between somatic kineties.The spherical macronucleus and adjacent single micronucleus is in the cell center(both seen here).The posterior contractile vacuole has a distinctive large cylindrical excretory pore.Zoochlorellae are absent.Collected from an organically enriched rainwater pool with abundant decaying grass in Boise, Idaho. January 2006.Stained by the silver carbonate technique (see Foissner, W. Europ. J. Protistol., 27:313-330;1991).Brightfield.
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Bryometopus (bry-o-me-toe-puss) is a uniformly ciliated and the cell is rounded at both poles and is slightly reniform. The conspicuous peristome lies obliquely across the ventral surface. The single contractile vacuole is located approximately in the middle of the cell on the ventral side. The macronucleus may be oval or elongate with several micronuclei. Bryometopus can be confused with Balantidioides which does not have an undulating membrane and with Condylostoma which has a wide triangular peristome and a highly conspicuous undulating membrane. This specimen was collected in freshwater ponds near Konstanz, Germany. Differencial interference contrast.
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Right side view of the colpodid ciliate, Bryometopus pseudochilodon (Kahl, 1932). The cell shape and size is quite variable. This population has a shape like Colpoda maupasi. The anterior end is pointed and the posterior end broadly rounded.The ventral surface is relatively straight and the dorsal surface is convex. There are 20-25 slightly spiraled somatic kineties consisting of doubly ciliated dikinetids. The kineties lie in shallow pellicular grooves. Collected from a temporary rainwater pool with decaying grass near Boise, Idaho march 2005. DIC.
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Right ventrolateral view of the infraciliature of the colpodid ciliate, Bryometopus pseudochilodon (Kahl, 1932). The cell shape and size is quite variable. This population has a shape like Colpoda maupasi. The anterior end is pointed and the posterior end broadly rounded. The elliptical oral vestibulum is in the anterior 1/3. There is a curved line of adoral membranelles along the left side of the vestibulum and an undulating membrane on the right. There are 20-25 slightly spiraled somatic kineties consisting of doubly ciliated dikinetids. The ellipsoid macronucleus contains many small micronuclei. There are two relatively large micronuclei adhering to the macronucleus. Collected from a temporary rainwater pool with decaying grass near Boise, Idaho march 2005. Silver carbonate stain (see Foissner, W. Europ. J. Protistol., 27:313-330;1991). Brightfield.
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Left side of the colpodid ciliate, Bryometopus pseudochilodon (Kahl, 1932). The cell shape and size is quite variable. This population has a shape like Colpoda maupasi. The anterior end is pointed and the posterior end broadly rounded.The ventral surface is relatively straight and the dorsal surface is convex. There are 20-25 slightly spiraled somatic kineties consisting of doubly ciliated dikinetids. The kineties lie in shallow pellicular grooves. Collected from a temporary rainwater pool with decaying grass near Boise, Idaho march 2005. DIC.
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Macronucleus and micronuclei of the colpodid ciliate, Bryometopus pseudochilodon (Kahl, 1932). The central ellipsoid macronucleus contains many small micronuclei (seen here). There are two relatively large micronuclei adhering to the macronucleus (seen here at 3 o'clock). Collected from a temporary rainwater pool with decaying grass near Boise, Idaho march 2005. Silver carbonate stain (see Foissner, W. Europ. J. Protistol., 27:313-330;1991). Brightfield.
