two cells, mouths

Description:

Dileptus (die-leapt-us) is a predatory ciliate. There is a body and a neck. The body is elliptical, tapering posteriorly, but extending anteriorly to form the neck. The neck sweeps around to try to find other protozoa or other prey. The flexibility of the cells is illustrated here. It is armed with extrusomes which kill the prey and which is then manipulated into food vacuoles by the mouth which is located at the bottom of the neck. The cells have multiple contractile vacuoles (clear structures) and an elongate macronucleus (dark in this image). Phase contrast.