in vivo

Description:

Portrait of the haptorid ciliate, Perispira ovum (Stein, 1859). The cell body is cylindrical to ovoid. The anterior end is slightly truncate. An unciliated cortical ridge (not well seen here) makes a complete right-hand spiral the length of the body. The slit-like cytostome, supported by fine trichites, is located at the anterior end of the cortical ridge. The uniform longitudinal somatic kineties spiral slightly. There are thre files of clavate (club-shaped) cilia forming a dorsal brush. The right-most of these (visible here to the viewer's upper right) hhas longer cilia than the two kineties to it's right. The cytoplasm in this individual is densely packed chloroplasts from ingested euglenae. These are probably "kleptoplasts". Kleptoplasts are plastids from ingested prey that are maintained in the cytoplasm and not digested. Perispira ovum may also sequester mitochondria from its prey in similar fashion (Johnson, PW et al. J. Euk. Microbiol.42:323-335,1995). There is a single large terminal contractile vacuole posteriorly. Collected from anoxic bottom sediments of slow flowing freshwater stream near Boise, Idaho march 2004. DIC.