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Portrait of extended Lagynus cucumis, a colorless Prostome ciliate found in sapropelic habitats. L. cucumis is synonymous with Lacrymaria cucumis (Penard, 1922) and Lacrymaria putrina (Kahl, 1926). Lagynus cucumis is longer and more slender than L. elegans with about five less pronounced ring-like furrows at the anterior end. The conical head region is much smaller than that of L. elegans. The apical cytostome is supported by fine trichites (seen here). The elongate cell body is flexible, contractile and slightly flattened. Somatic kineties are longitudinal and uniform. Slightly longer cilia surround the anterior end . A bean-shaped macronucleus with a central transverse crease is located in the midportion of the cell (seen well here). There is a single posterior terminal contractile vacuole (not seen in this image). Collected from sapropelic sediments of a freshwater aquaculture tub (pH 7.56) at a Koi farm near Boise, Idaho October 2003. DIC optics.
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Detail view of anterior end of extended Lagynus cucumis, a colorless Prostome ciliate found in sapropelic habitats. L. cucumis is synonymous with Lacrymaria cucumis (Penard, 1922) and Lacrymaria putrina (Kahl, 1926). Lagynus cucumis is longer and more slender than L. elegans with about five less pronounced ring-like furrows at the anterior end. The conical head region is much smaller than that of L. elegans. The apical cytostome is supported by fine trichites (seen here). The elongate cell body is flexible, contractile and slightly flattened. Somatic kineties are longitudinal and uniform. Slightly longer cilia surround the anterior end. A bean-shaped macronucleus with a central transverse crease is located in the midportion of the cell. There is a single posterior terminal contractile vacuole. Collected from sapropelic sediments of a freshwater aquaculture tub (pH 7.56) at a Koi farm near Boise, Idaho October 2003. DIC.
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Portrait of extended Lagynus cucumis, a colorless Prostome ciliate found in sapropelic habitats. L. cucumis is synonymous with Lacrymaria cucumis (Penard, 1922) and Lacrymaria putrina (Kahl, 1926). Lagynus cucumis is longer and more slender than L. elegans with about five less pronounced ring-like furrows at the anterior end. The conical head region is much smaller than that of L. elegans. The apical cytostome is supported by fine trichites. The elongate cell body is flexible, contractile and slightly flattened. Somatic kineties are longitudinal and uniform. Slightly longer cilia surround the anterior end. A bean-shaped macronucleus with a central transverse crease is located in the midportion of the cell (seen well here). There is a single posterior terminal contractile vacuole (seen in this image). Collected from sapropelic sediments of a freshwater aquaculture tub (pH 7.56) at a Koi farm near Boise, Idaho October 2003. DIC optics.
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Portrait of contracted Lagynus elegans (Engleman,1862, Quennerstedt,1867), a colorless Prostome ciliate found in sapropelic habitats. The cell body is flask-shaped with a flexible anterior neck marked by concentrically decreasing transverse ciliated furrows (seen well in this contracted individual). A conical head region bears longer cilia and an inconspicuous "dorsal brush" of 3 to 4 groups of kineties between cytopharyngeal nematodesmata (seen well here) and the first perioral ciliary ring. This feature distinguishes Lagynus from Lacrymaria, which has a short longitudinal dorsal brush of cilia on the neck region. Somatic kineties are longitudinal. The silverline system of Lagynus is also different from that of Lacrymaria. The neck region of Lagynus elegans is much less extensible (about 1/3 body length) than that of Lacrymaria olor. The posterior is often flattened. There is a single ellipsoid macronucleus and adjacent micronucleus about mid-body. There is a large posterior terminal contractile vacuole. Multiple food vacuoles are scattered through the cytoplasm. The cytoplasm L. elegans, like that of some other anaerobic ciliates, contains methanogenic bacilli and hydrogenosomes. L. elegans feeds on ciliates, cyanobacteria and other bacteria. Collected from sapropelic sediments of a freshwater aquaculture tub (pH 7.56) at a Koi farm near Boise, Idaho October 2003. DIC optics.
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Detail view of anterior end of Lagynus elegans (Engleman,1862, Quennerstedt,1867), a colorless Prostome ciliate found in sapropelic habitats. The cell body is flask-shaped with a flexible anterior neck marked by concentrically decreasing transverse ciliary furrows. A conical head region bears longer cilia and an inconspicuous "dorsal brush" of 3 to 4 groups of kineties between cytopharyngeal nematodesmata (seen well here) and the first perioral ciliary ring. This feature distinguishes Lagynus from Lacrymaria, which has a short longitudinal dorsal brush of cilia on the neck region. Somatic kineties are longitudinal. The silverline system of Lagynus is also different from that of Lacrymaria. The neck region of Lagynus elegans is much less extensible (about 1/3 body length) than that of Lacrymaria olor. The posterior is often flattened. There is a single ellipsoid macronucleus and adjacent micronucleus about mid-body. There is a large posterior terminal contractile vacuole. Multiple food vacuoles are scattered through the cytoplasm. The cytoplasm L. elegans, like that of some other anaerobic ciliates, contains methanogenic bacilli (seen well in this image) and hydrogenosomes. L. elegans feeds on ciliates, cyanobacteria and other bacteria. Collected from sapropelic sediments of a freshwater aquaculture tub (pH 7.56) at a Koi farm near Boise, Idaho October 2003. DIC optics.
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Portrait of extended Lagynus elegans (Engleman, 1862, Quennerstedt,1867), a colorless Prostome ciliate found in sapropelic habitats. The cell body is flask-shaped with a flexible anterior neck marked by concentrically decreasing transverse ciliated furrows. A conical head region bears longer cilia and an inconspicuous "dorsal brush" of 3 to 4 groups of kineties between cytopharyngeal nematodesmata (seen well here) and the first perioral ciliary ring. This feature distinguishes Lagynus from Lacrymaria, which has a short longitudinal dorsal brush of cilia on the neck region. Somatic kineties are longitudinal. The silverline system of Lagynus is also different from that of Lacrymaria. The neck region of Lagynus elegans is much less extensible (about 1/3 body length) than that of Lacrymaria olor. The posterior is often flattened. There is a single ellipsoid macronucleus and adjacent micronucleus about mid-body. There is a large posterior terminal contractile vacuole. Multiple food vacuoles are scattered through the cytoplasm. The cytoplasm L. elegans, like that of some other anaerobic ciliates, contains methanogenic bacilli and hydrogenosomes. L. elegans feeds on ciliates, cyanobacteria and other bacteria. Collected from sapropelic sediments of a freshwater aquaculture tub (pH 7.56) at a Koi farm near Boise, Idaho October 2003. DIC optics.
