portrait

Description:

Portrait of Glaucoma frontata (Syn. Dallasia frontata), a hymenostome ciliate. While most Glaucoma species are ovoid, this elongate species is bluntly rounded anteriorly and tapers posteriorly to rounded tail. Dorsoventrally flattened. The oral aperture is in the anterior third and oblique to the long axis of the body. There is an inconspicuous undulating membrane on the right of the oral aperture and three well developed membranelles. The somatic ciliation is uniform with a short preoral suture (seen in this image) and 5 or more postoral kineties. The ovoid macronucleus and single micronucleus are central. The single contractile vacuole is located laterally in the midbody. Numerous food vacuoles are visible in this image. Mainly bactivorous. Collected from freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho August 2003. DIC optics