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Heteromita globosa Stein, 1878. Cells are 4 to 6 microns long, ovoid to roundish, and slightly flattened. Two flagella insert subapically in a slight depression. The anterior flagellum, slightly thinner than the posterior one, may be very short or about the same length as the body and may be directed anteriorly or posteriorly. The posterior flagellum is one to two and half times the length of the body. The nucleus is located anteriorly, the contractile vacuole posteriorly. Refractile granules and food vacuoles are often visible. Cells glide on the posterior flagellum, wobbling and frequently changing direction. The anterior flagellum beats stiffly if anteriorly directed. To engulf bacteria, cells stop moving and use ventral pseudopodia.
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Heteromita is commonly encountered in freshwater and soil environments. This video has two sequences - the first is of CCAP strain 1961/1, and created in 1961. The second shows cells from a field sample taken in Berlin a couple of years later.
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Massisteria (mass-hysteria) is a cercomonad flagellate, with one species (M. marina ), measuring 2.5 to 6.5 microns, dorso-ventrally flattened irregular body. Cells produce delicate pseudopodia with extrusomes, which extend radially from the cell and normally adhere to the substrate. Two short curved flagella arise from the dorsal side of the cell and are relatively inactive in trophic cells, and are very hard to see. Cells may withdraw pseudopodia, and swim using the flagella. This species has been reported in marine sites in subtropical and tropical Australia, Brazil, Denmark, Gulf of Finland, equatorial Pacific, and Panama. Phase contrast.
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Massisteria (mass-hysteria) is a cercomonad flagellate, with one species (M. marina ), measuring 2.5 to 6.5 microns, dorso-ventrally flattened irregular body. Cells produce delicate pseudopodia with extrusomes, which extend radially from the cell and normally adhere to the substrate. Two short curved flagella arise from the dorsal side of the cell and are relatively inactive in trophic cells, and are very hard to see. Cells may withdraw pseudopodia, and swim using the flagella. Phase contrast.
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Massisteria (mass-hysteria) is a cercomonad flagellate, with one species (M. marina ), measuring 2.5 to 6.5 microns, dorso-ventrally flattened irregular body. Cells produce delicate pseudopodia with extrusomes, which extend radially from the cell and normally adhere to the substrate. Two short curved flagella arise from the dorsal side of the cell and are relatively inactive in trophic cells, and are very hard to see. Cells may withdraw pseudopodia, and swim using the flagella. Phase contrast.
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Massisteria (mass-hysteria) is a cercomonad flagellate, with one species (M. marina ), measuring 2.5 to 6.5 microns, dorso-ventrally flattened irregular body. Cells produce delicate pseudopodia with extrusomes, which extend radially from the cell and normally adhere to the substrate. This image shows the two short curved flagella which arise from the dorsal side of the cell. The flagella are relatively inactive in trophic cells, and are very hard to see. Cells may withdraw pseudopodia, and swim using the flagella. Differential interference contrast.
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Massisteria (mass-hysteria) marina Larsen and Patterson, 1990. Cells are 3 to 6.5 microns and dorso-ventrally flattened irregular body. The cells produce delicate pseudopodia with extrusomes, which extend radially from the cell and normally adhere to the substrate. Two short curved flagella arise from the dorsal side of the cell and are relatively inactive. Rarely observed.
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Massisteria marina Larsen and Patterson, 1990. Cells are 3 to 6.5 microns and dorso-ventrally flattened irregular body. The cells produce delicate pseudopodia with extrusomes, which extend radially from the cell and normally adhere to the substrate. Two short curved flagella arise from the dorsal side of the cell and are relatively inactive.
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Cholamonas (coal-a-moan-ass), cercomonad flagellate described early in the third millenium, with two subapically inserting flagella. Phase contrast micrograph.
