Furgasoniidae

Ventral view of the nassulid ciliate, Furgasonia trichocystis (Stokes, 1894) Jankowski, 1964. Synonym: Cyclogramma. The cell shape is a slightly dorsoventrally flattened ellipsoid. The left side is flattened and the right side slightly convex. The cytostome is in the anterior 1/5 of the cell in a shallow depression. It is supported by a prominent basket of obliquely oriented cytopharyngeal trichites. The somatic ciliature consists of about 32 to 26 longitudinal kineties. On the ventral surface the right kineties arch to the left anterior to the cytostome to terminate on a short but wide preoral suture. The straight left kineties terminate on this suture to the left of the cytostome. There is a short curved right paraoral membrane. There are three approximately rectangular paroral polykineties. The most anterior (M1) is also least conspicuous. It is obliquely oriented in the preoral suture. The middle membrane (M2) is to the left of the cytostome and almost perpendicular to the long axis of the cell. The most posterior membranelle (M3) is posterior to the cytostome (often obscured by the trichites in silver carbonate preparations) almost parallel to the long axis of the cell. These three distinctive small polykineties distinguish Furgasonia from other nassulid genera. The spherical macronucleus and adjacent micronucleus are slightly posterior to the equator. The single contractile vacuole (visible here posterior to the cytopharyngeal basket) is located in the cell center with an excretory pore on its ventral aspect. There is a prominent layer of fusiform subpellicular extrusomes (mucocysts). The cytoplasm is colorless in these bactivorous individuals. It is unclear whether this species is synonymous with F. rubens which is orange to blue colored due to ingested cyanobacteria. Morphologically the two species are quite similar aside from this coloration (see Faur�-Fremiet, E. Le Genre Cyclogramma, Perty, 1852. J. Protozool. 14: 456-464, 1967.) Collected from a temporary rainwater pool with abundant decaying grass near Boise, Idaho. March, 2005. DIC. 

Dorsal view of the nassulid ciliate, Furgasonia trichocystis (Stokes, 1894) Jankowski, 1964. Synonym: Cyclogramma. The cell shape is a slightly dorsoventrally flattened ellipsoid. The left side is flattened and the right side slightly convex. There is a prominent layer of fusiform subpellicular extrusomes (mucocysts). The cytoplasm is colorless in these bactivorous individuals. It is unclear whether this species is synonymous with F. rubens which is orange to blue colored due to ingested cyanobacteria. Morphologically the two species are quite similar aside from this coloration (see Faur�-Fremiet, E. Le Genre Cyclogramma, Perty, 1852. J. Protozool. 14: 456-464, 1967.) Collected from a temporary rainwater pool with abundant decaying grass near Boise, Idaho. March, 2005. DIC.

Ventral anterior view of the nassulid ciliate, Furgasonia trichocystis (Stokes, 1894) Jankowski, 1964. Synonym: Cyclogramma. The cell shape is a slightly dorsoventrally flattened ellipsoid. The left side is flattened and the right side slightly convex. The cytostome is in the anterior 1/5 of the cell in a shallow depression. It is supported by a prominent basket of obliquely oriented cytopharyngeal trichites. The somatic ciliature consists of about 32 to 26 longitudinal kineties. On the ventral surface the right kineties arch to the left anterior to the cytostome to terminate on a short but wide preoral suture. The straight left kineties terminate on this suture to the left of the cytostome. There is a short curved right paraoral membrane. There are three approximately rectangular paroral polykineties. The most anterior (M1) is obliquely oriented in the preoral suture. The middle membrane (M2) is to the left of the cytostome and almost perpendicular to the long axis of the cell. The most posterior membranelle (M3) is posterior to the cytostome (often obscured by the trichites in silver carbonate preparations) almost parallel to the long axis of the cell. These three distinctive small polykineties distinguish Furgasonia from other nassulid genera. The spherical macronucleus and adjacent micronucleus are slightly posterior to the equator. The single contractile vacuole (visible here posterior to the cytopharyngeal basket) is located in the cell center with an excretory pore on its ventral aspect. There is a prominent layer of fusiform subpellicular extrusomes (mucocysts). The cytoplasm is colorless in these bactivorous individuals. It is unclear whether this species is synonymous with F. rubens which is orange to blue colored due to ingested cyanobacteria. Morphologically the two species are quite similar aside from this coloration (see Faurè-Fremiet, E. Le Genre Cyclogramma, Perty, 1852. J. Protozool. 14: 456-464, 1967). Collected from a temporary rainwater pool with abundant decaying grass near Boise, Idaho. March, 2005. Silver carbonate stain (see Foissner, W. Europ. J. Protistol., 27:313-330;1991). Brightfield.

Ventral infraciliature of the nassulid ciliate, Furgasonia trichocystis (Stokes, 1894) Jankowski, 1964. Synonym: Cyclogramma. The cell shape is a slightly dorsoventrally flattened ellipsoid. The left side is flattened and the right side slightly convex. The cytostome is in the anterior 1/5 of the cell in a shallow depression. It is supported by a prominent basket of obliquely oriented cytopharyngeal trichites. The somatic ciliature consists of about 32 to 26 longitudinal kineties. On the ventral surface the right kineties arch to the left anterior to the cytostome to terminate on a short but wide preoral suture. The straight left kineties terminate on this suture to the left of the cytostome. There is a short curved right paraoral membrane. There are three approximately rectangular paroral polykineties. The most anterior (M1) is obliquely oriented in the preoral suture. The middle membrane (M2) is to the left of the cytostome and almost perpendicular to the long axis of the cell. The most posterior membranelle (M3) is posterior to the cytostome (often obscured by the trichites in silver carbonate preparations) almost parallel to the long axis of the cell. These three distinctive small polykineties distinguish Furgasonia from other nassulid genera. The spherical macronucleus and adjacent micronucleus are slightly posterior to the equator. The single contractile vacuole (visible here posterior to the cytopharyngeal basket) is located in the cell center with an excretory pore on its ventral aspect. There is a prominent layer of fusiform subpellicular extrusomes (mucocysts). The cytoplasm is colorless in these bactivorous individuals. It is unclear whether this species is synonymous with F. rubens which is orange to blue colored due to ingested cyanobacteria. Morphologically the two species are quite similar aside from this coloration (see Faurè-Fremiet, E. Le Genre Cyclogramma, Perty, 1852. J. Protozool. 14: 456-464, 1967). Collected from a temporary rainwater pool with abundant decaying grass near Boise, Idaho. March, 2005. Silver carbonate stain (see Foissner, W. Europ. J. Protistol., 27:313-330;1991). Brightfield.

Ventral infraciliature of the nassulid ciliate, Furgasonia trichocystis (Stokes, 1894) Jankowski, 1964. Synonym: Cyclogramma. The cell shape is a slightly dorsoventrally flattened ellipsoid. The left side is flattened and the right side slightly convex. The cytostome is in the anterior 1/5 of the cell in a shallow depression. It is supported by a prominent basket of obliquely oriented cytopharyngeal trichites. The somatic ciliature consists of about 32 to 26 longitudinal kineties. On the ventral surface the right kineties arch to the left anterior to the cytostome to terminate on a short but wide preoral suture. The straight left kineties terminate on this suture to the left of the cytostome. There is a short curved right paraoral membrane. There are three approximately rectangular paroral polykineties. The most anterior (M1) is obliquely oriented in the preoral suture. The middle membrane (M2) is to the left of the cytostome and almost perpendicular to the long axis of the cell. The most posterior membranelle (M3) is posterior to the cytostome (often obscured by the trichites in silver carbonate preparations) almost parallel to the long axis of the cell. These three distinctive small polykineties distinguish Furgasonia from other nassulid genera. The spherical macronucleus and adjacent micronucleus are slightly posterior to the equator. The single contractile vacuole (visible here posterior to the cytopharyngeal basket) is located in the cell center with an excretory pore on its ventral aspect. There is a prominent layer of fusiform subpellicular extrusomes (mucocysts). The cytoplasm is colorless in these bactivorous individuals. It is unclear whether this species is synonymous with F. rubens which is orange to blue colored due to ingested cyanobacteria. Morphologically the two species are quite similar aside from this coloration (see Faurè-Fremiet, E. Le Genre Cyclogramma, Perty, 1852. J. Protozool. 14: 456-464, 1967). Collected from a temporary rainwater pool with abundant decaying grass near Boise, Idaho. March, 2005. Silver carbonate stain (see Foissner, W. Europ. J. Protistol., 27:313-330;1991). Brightfield.

Discharged extrusomes (mucocysts) of the nassulid ciliate, Furgasonia trichocystis (Stokes, 1894) Jankowski, 1964. Synonym: Cyclogramma. The spherical macronucleus (stained dark green here)and adjacent micronucleus are slightly posterior to the equator. There is a prominent layer of fusiform subpelicular extrusomes (mucocysts). This preparation demonstartes the discharged extrusomes and mucus surrounding the cell. Collected from a temporary rainwater pool with abundant decaying grass near Boise, Idaho. March, 2005. Methyl green Pyronin-Y stain (see Foissner, W. Europ. J. Protistol., 27:313-330;1991). Brightfield.

Ventral infraciliature of the nassulid ciliate, Furgasonia trichocystis (Stokes, 1894) Jankowski, 1964. Synonym: Cyclogramma. The cell shape is a slightly dorsoventrally flattened ellipsoid. The left side is flattened and the right side slightly convex. The cytostome is in the anterior 1/5 of the cell in a shallow depression. It is supported by a prominent basket of obliquely oriented cytopharyngeal trichites. The somatic ciliature consists of about 32 to 26 longitudinal kineties. On the ventral surface the right kineties arch to the left anterior to the cytostome to terminate on a short but wide preoral suture. The straight left kineties terminate on this suture to the left of the cytostome. There is a short curved right paraoral membrane. There are three approximately rectangular paroral polykineties (nassulid organelles). The most anterior (M1,long arrow) is obliquely oriented in the preoral suture. The middle membrane (M2, medium arrow) is to the left of the cytostome and almost perpendicular to the long axis of the cell. The most posterior membranelle (M3, short arrow) is posterior to the cytostome, almost parallel to the long axis of the cell. These three distinctive small polykineties distinguish Furgasonia from other nassulid genera. The spherical macronucleus and adjacent micronucleus are slightly posterior to the equator. The single contractile vacuole (visible here posterior to the cytopharyngeal basket) is located in the cell center with an excretory pore on its ventral aspect. There is a prominent layer of fusiform subpellicular extrusomes (mucocysts). The cytoplasm is colorless in these bactivorous individuals. It is unclear whether this species is synonymous with F. rubens which is orange to blue colored due to ingested cyanobacteria. Morphologically the two species are quite similar aside from this coloration (see Fauré-Fremiet, E. Le Genre Cyclogramma, Perty, 1852. J. Protozool. 14: 456-464, 1967). Collected from a temporary rainwater pool with abundant decaying grass near Boise, Idaho. March, 2005. Silver carbonate (see Foissner, W. Europ. J. Protistol., 27:313-330;1991). Brightfield. This image was taken by William Bourland. He now uses a Zeiss Axioskop 2 with a Flex camera (Diagnostic Instruments).

Dorsal view of the nassulid ciliate, Furgasonia trichocystis (Stokes, 1894) Jankowski, 1964. Synonym: Cyclogramma. The cell shape is a slightly dorsoventrally flattened ellipsoid. The left side is flattened and the right side slightly convex. There is a prominent layer of fusiform subpellicular extrusomes (mucocysts). The cytoplasm is colorless in these bactivorous individuals. It is unclear whether this species is synonymous with F. rubens which is orange to blue colored due to ingested cyanobacteria. Morphologically the two species are quite similar aside from this coloration (see Faur�-Fremiet, E. Le Genre Cyclogramma, Perty, 1852. J. Protozool. 14: 456-464, 1967.) Collected from a temporary rainwater pool with abundant decaying grass near Boise, Idaho. March, 2005. DIC.

Stained by the silver carbonate technique (see Foissner, W.Europ. J. Protistol.27:313-330;1991).Brightfield.

Stained by the silver carbonate technique (see Foissner, W.Europ. J. Protistol.27:313-330;1991).Brightfield.

Stained by the silver carbonate technique (see Foissner, W.Europ. J. Protistol.27:313-330;1991).Brightfield.

The semicircular paraoral membrane (green arrow), anterior to the oral aperture, is composed of dikinetids oriented perpendicular to the long axis of the membrane. The posterior (left) basal body of each pair is unciliated.The single nassulid organelle (yellow arrow), located posterior to the oral aperture, is composed of seven groups of three kinetids.The single excretory pore of the contractile vacuole is indicated by the pink arrow. The cytopyge is indicated by the light blue arrow.  Stained by the silver carbonate technique (see Foissner, W.Europ. J. Protistol.27:313-330;1991).Brightfield.

High contrast DIC image showing slit-like oral aperture(yellow), thew cilia of the single postoral nassulid organelle (pink) and the excretory pore of the contractile vacuole (red).

Parafurgasonia sorex: (PENARD,1922) FOISSNER & ADAM, 1981. The green arrowhead indicates a kinetid of a dorsal somatic kinety. The yellow arrowhead indicates one of the darkly stained mucocysts which occur in longitudinal files between the somatic kineties.Stained by the silver carbonate technique (see Foissner, W.Europ. J. Protistol.27:313-330;1991).Brightfield.