proboscis, mouth

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. 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, and is evident here as a slightly stiffer region just below the fold. This is the circular structure that is visible in this micrograph. The cells have multiple contractile vacuoles (clear structures). Phase contrast.