Cafeteria minuta (Ruinen) Larsen & D. J. Patterson 1990

Cafeteria (cafeteria) minuta (Ruinen, 1938) Larsen and Patterson, 1990. Cells are about 4 - 6 microns long with a small ventral groove. Two flagella emerge from the anterior end of the groove. The long anterior flagellum is about 2.5 - 4 times the cell length and beats with a sine-wave, and the posterior flagellum is about 1 - 1.5 times the cell length. When the cells swim, the anterior flagellum is directed forward and the posterior one trails. The cells may attach to the substrate by the tip of the posterior flagellum. Not common.

Cafeteria minuta (Ruinen, 1938) Larsen and Patteron, 1990. Cells are almost globular, 3.5-4 microns but with a subapical ventral depression from which the flagella emerge. The hairy or feeding flagellum (the hairs are not visible with the light microscope), which projects in front of the swimming cell, measures 10-12 microns, and may beat with more than one complete sine wave along its length. Second flagellum about 5 microns, curves over the side of the body and may attach by its tip to the substratum.