in vivo

Description:

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.