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Ventral view of the infraciliature of Metopus palaeformis (Kahl,1927) contracted by fixation and compressed to display details..Synonyms probably include Tesnospira alba (Jankowski,1964),M. hyalinus (Kahl,19270 and M. tenuis (Kahl,1927) among others.Morphology is highly variable probably explaining the large number of synonyms. The cell is flask-shaped (as in this example)to elongate.The anterior end is twisted to the left resulting in a rounded lip that overhangs the peristome. The spiral peristome is bordered on the left by an adoral zone of membranelles (large black arrow) and on the right by five closely spaced kineties,the "perizonal stripe" (small black arrow).Just to the right of the posterior termination of the AZM is a short, inconspicuous undulating membrane(yellow arrow).The cytoplasm contains endosymbiotic methanogenic bacilli (not seen here).Collected from the bottom sediments of an organically enriched rain pool with abundant decaying grass contaminated by Canada goose (Branta canadensis) droppings.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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Collected by ATOL special protist hunters at Long Pond near to Woods Hole, MS, for the Protistology Workshop at MBL, October-November 2005. Art by Adrian Reyes-Prieto.
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Dorsal surface of the metopid ciliate, Brachonella spiralis. The body is broadly conical anteriorly with a narrower obliquely truncate posterior. The long S-shaped peristome winds around the entire circumference of the cell terminating in the cytostome. This spiraling cytostome distinguishes Brachonella (Jankowski 1964) from similar genus Metopus in which the peristome runs obliquely from anterior to posterior but does not spiral around the long axis. The cytostome is paralleled on the right by a perizonal stripe of kineties and on the left an adoral zone of membranelles. The uniform longitudinal dorsal kineties and the posterior end of the perizonal stripe of kineties are seen well in this image
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Portrait of Bothrostoma undulans, a metopid ciliate that is the type species for the genus. The elongate body is dorsoventrally flattened, narrowing anteriorly to a rounded point, which twists slightly to the left. The large buccal cavity extends 2/3 the body length, bordered on the right by a prominent undulating membrane and on the left by a well-developed adoral zone of membranelles. A perizonal stripe of four longitudinal kineties lies along the right anterior margin parallel to the undulating membrane. The somatic kineties are longitudinal. There is a long tuft of caudal cilia. The central round macronucleus and the overlying micronucleus are seen in this image. Several food vacuoles and the posterior terminal contractile vacuole are seen here. From sapropelic sediments in freshwater aquaculture pond near Boise, Idaho. DIC optics.
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Dorsal view of the infraciliature of Metopus palaeformis (Kahl,1927) contracted by fixation and compressed to display details.Synonyms probably include Tesnospira alba (Jankowski,1964),M. hyalinus (Kahl,19270 and M. tenuis (Kahl,1927) among others.Morphology is highly variable probably explaining the large number of synonyms. The cell is flask-shaped (as in this example)to elongate .The anterior end is twisted to the left resulting in a rounded lip that overhangs the peristome.The spiral peristome is bordered on the left by an adoral zone of membranelles and on the right by five closely spaced kineties,the "perizonal stripe"(visible here).The right somatic kineties parallel the peristome anteriorly and the left somatic kineties terminate at the margin of the peristome.Collected from the bottom sediments of an organically enriched rain pool with abundant decaying grass contaminated by Canada goose (Branta canadensis) droppings.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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Portrait of Metopus es, the types species of this sapropelic metopid genus of ciliates. The body is elongate with a bluntly rounded anterior twisted to the left. The posterior is narrow and truncate. The peristome slants obliquely across the ventral surface. There is a prominent adoral zone of membranelles on its left and several kineties of longer cilia along its right margin. The cytostome is at the right posterior end of the peristome. The somatic kineties are longitudinal and uniform. An orange-brown aggregate of refractile granules, typical of metopids, is present in the anterior region. The contractile vacuole is terminal posteriorly. There is an anterior ellipsoid macronucleus. From sapropelic stagnant fresh water pond near Boise, Idaho. DIC optics.
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Portrait of the metopid ciliate, Brachonella spiralis. The body is broadly conical anteriorly with a narrower obliquely truncate posterior. The long S-shaped peristome winds around the entire circumference of the cell terminating in the cytostome (the anterior end of the peristome is seen at the right anteriorly and the termination at the right posteriorly in this image). This spiraling cytostome distinguishes Brachonella (Jankowski 1964) from similar genus Metopus in which the peristome runs obliquely from anterior to posterior but does not spiral around the long axis. The cytostome is paralleled on the right by a perizonal stripe of kineties. On the left is an adoral zone of membranelles. There are uniform longitudinal dorsal kineties with a tuft of longer caudal cilia. A distinctive aggregate of brownish refractile granules typical of most metopids is noted anteriorly. There is spherical anterior macronucleus. The micronucleus is not seen here. There is a posterior terminal contractile vacuole. Brachonella is found in sapropelic habitats and contains methanogenic symbionts in the cytoplasm. From stagnant freshwater source with rotting vegetation near Boise, Idaho. DIC optics.
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Portrait of the colorless metopid ciliate, Tropidoatractus acuminatus. The cell is elongate and slightly laterally compressed. The anterior end is rounded, the posterior drawn out into a short point. The pellicle is armored with prominent ridges, which spiral about the long axis of the cell. The sparse somatic cilia lie in the grooves between these ridges. The cytostome is anterolateral with perizonal stripe of longer cilia. There is an inconspicuous adoral zone of membranelles. The ellipsoid macronucleus is centrally located. Single micronucleus. Like many metopid ciliates T. atcuminatus has an accumulation of brownish refractile granules at the anterior end. There is a terminal contractile vacuole. T. acuminatus swims slowly spiraling on its long axis. Collected from sapropelic bottom sediment of dredge pond near Idaho city, Idaho September 2003. DIC optics.
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Dorsal infraciliature of the infraciliature of Metopus palaeformis (Kahl, 1927).The cell shape is well preserved in this Bouin's-fixed specimen compared with the distorted cell shape seen in formalin-fixed specimens impregnated with silver carbonate.Non-flooded Petri dish culture of soil from a park lawn Boise, Idaho. January 2007.Stained by the Wilbert Protargol technique (see Foissner, W. Europ. J. Protistol., 27:313-330;1991).Brightfield.
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Lateral view of Metopus hasei (Sondheim, 1929).Synomnyms include Metopus fusus (Vuxanovici, 1962) and Metopus latusculisetus (Tucolesco, 1962). The cell is elongate .The anterior end is twisted to the left resulting in a rounded lip that overhangs the peristome.The spiral peristome is bordered on the left by an adoral zone of membranelles and on the right by five closely spaced kineties,the "perizonal stripe".Just to the right of the posterior termination of the AZM is a short, inconspicuous undulating membrane(usually visible only in silver-stained preparations).The The right somatic kineties parallel the peristome anteriorly and the left somatic kineties terminate at the margin of the peristome.There is a tuft of long caudal cilia (visible here). This feature distinguishes M. hasei from flask-like forms of M. palaeformis which lack long caudal cilia. The prominent ellipsoid macronucleus and adjacent micronucleus are in the anterior half. The contractile vacuole is at the posterior end.The cytoplasm contains endosymbiotic methanogenic bacilli.There is an aggregate of brown refractile granules at the anterior end (seen here)typical of the metopid ciliates.Collected from the bottom sediments of an organically enriched rain pool with abundant decaying grass contaminated by Canada goose (Branta canadensis) droppings.Boise, Idaho. January 2006. DIC.
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Ventral surface of the metopid ciliate, Brachonella spiralis. The body is broadly conical anteriorly with a narrower obliquely truncate posterior. The long S-shaped peristome winds around the entire circumference of the cell terminating in the cytostome. This spiraling cytostome distinguishes Brachonella (Jankowski 1964) from similar genus Metopus in which the peristome runs obliquely from anterior to posterior but does not spiral around the long axis. The cytostome is paralleled on the right by a perizonal stripe of kineties and on the left an adoral zone of membranelles (both seen well in this image). There are uniform longitudinal dorsal kineties with a tuft of longer caudal cilia. A distinctive aggregate of brownish refractile granules typical of most metopids is noted anteriorly. There is a spherical anterior macronucleus. The micronucleus is not seen here. There is a posterior terminal contractile vacuole. Brachonella is found in sapropelic habitats and contains methanogenic symbionts in the cytoplasm. From stagnant freshwater source with rotting vegetation near Boise, Idaho. DIC optics.
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Portrait of the colorless metopid ciliate, Tropidoatractus acuminatus. The cell is elongate and slightly laterally compressed. The anterior end is rounded, the posterior drawn out into a short point. The pellicle is armored with prominent ridges, which spiral about the long axis of the cell. The sparse somatic cilia lie in the grooves between these ridges. The cytostome is anterolateral with perizonal stripe of longer cilia. There is an inconspicuous adoral zone of membranelles. The ellipsoid macronucleus is centrally located. Single micronucleus. Like many metopid ciliates T. atcuminatus has an accumulation of brownish refractile granules at the anterior end. There is a terminal contractile vacuole. T. acuminatus swims slowly spiraling on its long axis. Collected from sapropelic bottom sediment of dredge pond near Idaho city, Idaho September 2003. DIC optics.
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Ventral infraciliature of the infraciliature of Metopus palaeformis (Kahl, 1927).The cell shape is well preserved in this Bouin's-fixed specimen compared with the distorted cell shape seen in formalin-fixed specimens impregnated with silver carbonate.Non-flooded Petri dish culture of soil from a park lawn Boise, Idaho. January 2007.Stained by the Wilbert Protargol technique (see Foissner, W. Europ. J. Protistol., 27:313-330;1991).Brightfield.
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Lateral view of Metopus hasei (Sondheim, 1929).Synomnyms include Metopus fusus (Vuxanovici, 1962) and Metopus latusculisetus (Tucolesco, 1962). The cell is elongate .The anterior end is twisted to the left resulting in a rounded lip that overhangs the peristome.The spiral peristome is bordered on the left by an adoral zone of membranelles and on the right by five closely spaced kineties,the "perizonal stripe".Just to the right of the posterior termination of the AZM is a short, inconspicuous undulating membrane(usually visible only in silver-stained preparations).The The right somatic kineties parallel the peristome anteriorly and the left somatic kineties terminate at the margin of the peristome.There is a tuft of long caudal cilia. This feature distinguishes M. hasei from flask-like forms of M. palaeformis which lack long caudal cilia. The prominent ellipsoid macronucleus and adjacent micronucleus are in the anterior half. The contractile vacuole is at the posterior end.The cytoplasm contains endosymbiotic methanogenic bacilli.There is an aggregate of brown refractile granules at the anterior end (seen here)typical of the metopid ciliates.Collected from the bottom sediments of an organically enriched rain pool with abundant decaying grass contaminated by Canada goose (Branta canadensis) droppings.Boise, Idaho. January 2006. DIC.
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Portrait of the metopid ciliate, Brachonella spiralis. The body is broadly conical anteriorly with a narrower obliquely truncate posterior. The long S-shaped peristome winds around the entire circumference of the cell terminating in the cytostome. This spiraling cytostome distinguishes Brachonella (Jankowski 1964) from similar genus Metopus in which the peristome runs obliquely from anterior to posterior but does not spiral around the long axis. The cytostome is paralleled on the right by a perizonal stripe of kineties. On the left is an adoral zone of membranelles. There are uniform longitudinal dorsal kineties with a tuft of longer caudal cilia. A distinctive aggregate of brownish refractile granules typical of most metopids is noted anteriorly. There is a spherical anterior macronucleus. The micronucleus is not seen here. There is a posterior terminal contractile vacuole. Brachonella is found in sapropelic habitats and contains methanogenic symbionts in the cytoplasm. From stagnant freshwater source with rotting vegetation near Boise, Idaho. DIC optics.
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Portrait (coronal section) of the metopid ciliate, Brachonella galeata (Kahl 1927 [Metopus galeatus]; Jankowski, 1964). The anterior half of the cell is broadly helmet-shaped. The posterior is bluntly conical. The peristome encircles the body at the junction of the anterior and posterior halves of the cell, the origin lying just anterior to the termination on the same longitudinal line. The peristome terminates in a posterior cytostome. There is an adoral zone of membranelles on the left margin of the peristome. The somatic cilia are long and sparse. There is a tuft of longer cilia at the posterior end. A single ellipsoid macronucleus is located centrally or anteriorly (not seen well here). There is a single irregularly shaped contractile vacuole at the posterior end. There are purple sulfur bacteria visible in food vacuoles. B. galeata is anaerobic. Collected from anoxic sediment of slow-moving freshwater stream near Boise, Idaho in April 2004. Phase contrast illumination.
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Ventral Infraciliature of the armophorid ciliate Caenomorpha simplex (Jankowski,1964). Stained by the silver carbonate technique (see Foissner, W. Europ. J. Protistol., 27:313-330;1991).Brightfield.
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Ventral view of Metopus hasei (Sondheim, 1929).Synomnyms include Metopus fusus (Vuxanovici, 1962) and Metopus latusculisetus (Tucolesco, 1962). The cell is elongate .The anterior end is twisted to the left resulting in a rounded lip that overhangs the peristome.The spiral peristome (seen here)is bordered on the left by an adoral zone of membranelles and on the right by five closely spaced kineties,the "perizonal stripe".Just to the right of the posterior termination of the AZM is a short, inconspicuous undulating membrane(usually visible only in silver-stained preparations).The The right somatic kineties parallel the peristome anteriorly and the left somatic kineties terminate at the margin of the peristome.There is a tuft of long caudal cilia. This feature distinguishes M. hasei from flask-like forms of M. palaeformis which lack long caudal cilia. The prominent ellipsoid macronucleus and adjacent micronucleus are in the anterior half. The contractile vacuole is at the posterior end.The cytoplasm contains endosymbiotic methanogenic bacilli.There is an aggregate of brown refractile granules at the anterior end (seen here)typical of the metopid ciliates.Collected from the bottom sediments of an organically enriched rain pool with abundant decaying grass contaminated by Canada goose (Branta canadensis) droppings.Boise, Idaho. January 2006. DIC.
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Ventral surface of the metopid ciliate, Brachonella spiralis(Smith,1897;Jankowski,1964)stained by a silver carbonate technique(see Foissner, W.Europ. J. Protistol.27,313-330;1991). The body is broadly conical anteriorly with a narrower obliquely truncate posterior. The long S-shaped peristome winds around the entire circumference of the cell terminating in the cytostome. This spiraling cytostome distinguishes Brachonella from the similar genus Metopus in which the peristome runs obliquely from anterior to posterior but does not spiral around the long axis. The cytostome is paralleled on the right by a perizonal stripe of kineties and on the left an adoral zone of membranelles (both seen well in this image). Somatic kineties run obliquely anterior to the cytostome and longitudinally posterior to it. A distinctive aggregate of brownish refractile granules typical of most metopids is noted anteriorly. The spherical anterior macronucleus and micronucleus are not seen here. Brachonella is found in sapropelic habitats and contains methanogenic symbionts in the cytoplasm. From stagnant freshwater source with rotting vegetation near Boise, Idaho. Brightfield.
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Portrait (posterior apical view) of the metopid ciliate, Brachonella galeata (Kahl 1927 [Metopus galeatus]; Jankowski, 1964). The anterior half of the cell is broadly helmet-shaped. The margin of the anterior part of the cell is seen well here. The posterior is bluntly conical. The peristome encircles the body at the junction of the anterior and posterior halves of the cell, the origin lying just anterior to the termination on the same longitudinal line. The peristome terminates in a posterior cytostome. There is an adoral zone of membranelles on the left margin of the peristome. The somatic cilia are long and sparse. There is a tuft of longer cilia at the posterior end. A single ellipsoid macronucleus (just to the right of the cell center here) is located centrally or anteriorly. There is a single irregularly shaped contractile vacuole at the posterior end. There are purple sulfur bacteria visible in food vacuoles. B. galeata is anaerobic. Collected from anoxic sediment of slow-moving freshwater stream near Boise, Idaho in April 2004. DIC optics.
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Infraciliature of the armophorid ciliate Caenomorpha simplex (Jankowski,1964). The light blue arrowhead indicates the single anterior cirral file. The green, dark blue and yellow arrowheads indicate the undulating membrane, adoral zone of membranelles and perizonal ciliary stripe respectively. The red arrowhead indicates one of the densely stained methanogenic bacteria in the cytoplasm.Stained by the silver carbonate technique (see Foissner, W. Europ. J. Protistol., 27:313-330;1991).Brightfield.
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Right lateral view of the infraciliature of Metopus hasei (SONDHEIM,1929).The green arrowheads indicate the five rows of dikinetids comprising the "perizonal ciliary stripe" From a rewetted soil sample collected from the margin of a eutrophic freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho. Stained by the silver carbonate technique (see Foissner, W.Europ. J. Protistol.27:313-330;1991).Brightfield.
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Portrait of the metopid ciliate, Brachonella galeata (Kahl 1927 [Metopus galeatus]; Jankowski, 1964). The anterior half of the cell is broadly helmet-shaped. The posterior is bluntly conical. The peristome encircles the body at the junction of the anterior and posterior halves of the cell, the origin lying just anterior to the termination on the same longitudinal line. The peristome terminates in a posterior cytostome. There is an adoral zone of membranelles on the left margin of the peristome. The somatic cilia are long and sparse. There is a tuft of longer cilia at the posterior end. A single ellipsoid macronucleus is located centrally or anteriorly. There is a single irregularly shaped contractile vacuole at the posterior end. There are purple sulfur bacteria visible in food vacuoles. B. galeata is anaerobic. Collected from anoxic sediment of slow-moving freshwater stream near Boise, Idaho in April 2004.Phase contrast illumination.
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Dorsal infraciliature of the armophorid ciliate Caenomorpha simplex (Jankowski,1964). Stained by the silver carbonate technique (see Foissner, W. Europ. J. Protistol., 27:313-330;1991).Brightfield.