Portrait

Description:

Portrait of the marine frontoniid ciliate, Schistophrya aplanata (Kahl,1933). Schistophrya is a monotypic genus. The cell outline is elongate and bluntly rounded anteriorly and posteriorly. The somatic ciliature is uniform. The pellicle is areolate (marked by uniform rectangular depressions). The slit-like oral aperture is located in mid-body and is bordered by thin slightly serrate lips (seen well in this image). The cytopharyngeal basket of fine trichites is not seen well in these images. A single contractile vacuole is located in the anterior half of the cell. There is a single ovoid macronucleus. A large aggregate of refractile dark granules is present at the anterior end. Fusiform subcortical extrusomes are present. S. aplanata is similar in appearance to the freshwater frontoniid ciliate, Clathrostoma viminale. Collected from a commercial saltwater aquarium in Boise, Idaho February 2004. DIC optics.