In vivo

Description:

Portrait of the haptorid ciliate, Acropisthium mutabile (Perty, 1852). The cell body is ovoid. The posterior tapers to a short point. The anterior end forms a blunt snout with an apical cytostome. Short trichites support the cytopharynx. There is wreath of longer cilia just posterior to the bare anterior snout. The uniform longitudinal somatic kineties are are widely spaced. Three anterior rows of clavate cilia form a dorsal brush (seen here on viewer's left anteriorly). The cytoplasm contains highly refractile crystaline inclusions. The spherical macronucleus is posterior. There is a single posterior terminal contractile vacuole. Collected from freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho May 2004. DIC optics.