Anterior end, in vivo

Description:

Detail of the anterior end of the haptorid ciliate, Chaenea teres (Dujardin,1841). Probably synonymous with C. stricta (Dujardin 1841, Foissner, 1995) which is also found in freshwater habitats. The cell is elongate,ovoid in cross section,flexible but only slightly contractile. There is a short anterior snout with an inconspicuous apical cytostome. Small trichites support the cytopharynx. Longitudinal somatic kineties are widely spaced. The short snout has densely packed slightly spiral kineties with longer cilia (seen well here). The cytoplasm of this individual contains highly refractile crystalline inclusions.This specimen was collected from a commercial saltwater aquarium in Boise, Idaho May 2004. DIC optics.