Detail of macronuclei

Description:

Detail view of the marine interstitial trachelocercid ciliate, Tracheloraphis (Dragesco, 1958)showing the macronuclei. This genus contains many species and identification at the species level is quite difficult. Tracheloraphis is highly contractile. Some species are greater than 2 millimeters in length when extended. The left side of the organism bears a long unciliated "glabrous stripe". The inconspicuous cytostome is at the anterior apex. Morphology of the macronuclei is highly variable with as few as four to more than 50 macronuclei usually grouped in clusters of two or more.This species has a central cluster of at least five macronuclei. There are multiple micronuclei. Collected from a commercial marine aquarium in Boise, Idaho January 2004. DIC optics.