Nassophorea

Ventral infraciliature of the large nassulid ciliate Obertrumia aurea (Ehrenberg, 1833; Foissner 1987). Synonym of Nassula aurea. Obertrumia is distinguished by it's bipartite "hypostomial frange",linear arrays of ciliary tufts. A sigmoid ventrolateral frange begins posterior to the cytostome running anteriorly and to the left (viewer's right) around to the dorsal surface. The dorsal termination is not seen in this image. The ventrolateral part of the frange terminates at the left end of the horizontal line of ciliary tufts on the dorsal surface. The uniform longitudinal somatic kineties, interrupted by the hypostomial frange, are well seen here. The multiple darkly stained micronuclei are seen overlying the spherical macronucleus in this image.The small circular structure to the viewer's left just posterior to the macronucleus is the excretory pore of the contractile vacuole. The thin dark longitudinal line posterior to this is the cytopyge (cell anus).In vivo the cell appears brightly colored (orange, green or violet) due to multiple food vacuoles containing ingested cyanobacteria. Numerous small mucocysts give the cortex a roughly granular appearance. O. aurea feeds mainly on cyanobacteria. Silver carbonate stain (see Foissner, W.Europ. J. Protistol.27,313-330;1991). Collected from a freshwater aquaculture pond near Boise, Idaho,Idaho November 2004. Brightfield optics.

Dorsal infraciliature of the large nassulid ciliate Obertrumia aurea (Ehrenberg, 1833; Foissner 1987). Synonym of Nassula aurea. Obertrumia is distinguished by it's bipartite "hypostomial frange", linear arrays of ciliary tufts. A sigmoid ventrolateral frange runs anteriorly and to the left. The dorsal termination of this part is seen as a vertical arrangement of rectangular collections of kinetids (blue arrow). It terminates at the left end of the horizontal line of ciliary tufts on the dorsal surface (yellow arrow). The uniform longitudinal somatic kineties are well seen here. In vivo the cell appears brightly colored (orange, green or violet) due to multiple food vacuoles containing ingested cyanobacteria. Numerous small mucocysts give the cortex a roughly granular appearance. O. aurea feeds mainly on cyanobacteria. Silver carbonate stain (see Foissner, W.Europ. J. Protistol.27,313-330;1991). Collected from a freshwater pond near Idaho City, Idaho Septmeber 2004. Brightfield optics.

Portrait of Obertrumia aurea(Ehrenberg, 1833; Foissner 1987). Widely distributed nassulid ciliate with well developed cytopharyngeal basket or cyrtos (viewer's upper left). Fed organisms may contain brightly colored orange, blue and purple food vacuoles. O. aurea has a bipartite hypostomial frange (not seen here). From a freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho. Oblique illumination This image was taken by William Bourland. He now uses a Zeiss Axioskop 2 with a Spot Insight CCD camera (Diagnostic Instruments). 

Detail of the large Nnassulid ciliate Obertrumia aurea (Ehrenberg, 1833; Foissner 1987). Synonym of Nassula aurea. Obertrumia is distinguished by it's bipartite "hypostomial frange", linear arrays of ciliary tufts. A sigmoid ventrolateral frange (seen most clearly posterior to the cytostome in this image) runs anteriorly and to the left and is separated from a horizontal line of ciliary tufts on the dorsal surface. The cell appears brightly colored (orange, green or violet) due to multiple food vacuoles containing ingested cyanobacteria. Numerous small mucocysts give the cortex a roughly granular appearance. O. aurea feeds mainly on cyanobacteria. Collected from a freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho November 2003. DIC optics. 

Detail of the large nassulid ciliate Obertrumia aurea (Ehrenberg, 1833; Foissner 1987). Synonym of Nassula aurea. Obertrumia is distinguished by it's bipartite "hypostomial frange", linear arrays of ciliary tufts. A sigmoid ventrolateral frange runs anteriorly and to the left (not seen in this image) and is separated from a horizontal line of ciliary tufts on the dorsal surface (seen here). The cell appears brightly colored (orange, green or violet) due to multiple food vacuoles containing ingested cyanobacteria. Numerous small mucocysts give the cortex a roughly granular appearance. O. aurea feeds mainly on cyanobacteria. Collected from a freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho November 2003. DIC optics. 

Detail of the large nassulid ciliate Obertrumia aurea (Ehrenberg, 1833; Foissner 1987). Synonym of Nassula aurea. Obertrumia is distinguished by it's bipartite "hypostomial frange", linear arrays of ciliary tufts. There is a prominent cytopharyngeal basket (nasse) composed of stout nematodesmata at the base of a shallow oral introitus in the anterior 1/3 of the cell. Focal swellings of the nematodesmata give the appearance of a ring (annulus) near the outer end of the nasse. Numerous small mucocysts give the cortex a roughly granular appearance. O. aurea feeds mainly on cyanobacteria. Collected from a freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho November 2003. DIC optics. 

Portrait of the large nassulid ciliate Obertrumia aurea (Ehrenberg, 1833; Foissner 1987). Synonym of Nassula aurea. Obertrumia is distinguished by it's bipartite "hypostomial frange", linear arrays of ciliary tufts. A sigmoid ventrolateral frange runs anteriorly and to the left and is separated from a horizontal line of ciliary tufts that lies on the dorsal surface. This specimen is slightly compressed, the cell outline normally appearing as a more elongate ellipsoid. The cell appears brightly colored (orange, green or violet) due to multiple food vacuoles containing ingested cyanobacteria. The single spherical macronucleus is seen posteriorly. There is one large lateral contractile vacuole, which fills from smaller surrounding vacuoles rather than collecting canals (seen well here). There is a prominent cytopharyngeal basket (nasse) composed of stout nematodesmata at the base of a shallow oral introitus in the anterior 1/3 of the cell. Focal swellings of the nematodesmata give the appearance of a ring near the outer end of the nasse. Numerous small mucocysts give the cortex a roughly granular appearance. O. aurea feeds mainly on cyanobacteria. Collected from a freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho November 2003. DIC optics. 

Right dorsolateral view of the infraciliature of the large nassulid ciliate Obertrumia aurea (Ehrenberg, 1833; Foissner 1987). Synonym of Nassula aurea. Obertrumia is distinguished by it's bipartite "hypostomial frange", linear arrays of ciliary tufts. A sigmoid ventrolateral frange runs anteriorly and to the left. The dorsal termination of this part is seen as a vertical arrangement of rectangular collections of kinetids on the viewer's left in this image. It terminates at the left end of the horizontal line of ciliary tufts on the dorsal surface.The uniform longitudinal somatic kineties are well seen here. In vivo the cell appears brightly colored (orange, green or violet) due to multiple food vacuoles containing ingested cyanobacteria. Numerous small mucocysts give the cortex a roughly granular appearance. O. aurea feeds mainly on cyanobacteria. Silver carbonate stain (see Foissner, W.Europ. J. Protistol.27,313-330;1991). Collected from a freshwater aquaculture pond near Boise,Idaho February 2006. Brightfield.

Originally described by Schewiakoff under the name Nassula aurea. Ventral view, slightly rotated.  a--Anus al--Pellicular alveoli ad. w--Adoral ciliated zone (hypostomial frange) cp--Cortical plasma cv--Contractile vacuole g--Gelatinous layer h--Ectoplasm of a homogenous appearance oe--Throat N--Macronucleus ncl -- Micronucleus nk1-nk4 -- Food particles in various stages of digestion o -- Mouth oe -- Throat pe -- Excretory pore  pi -- Pigmented spot 

Originally described by Schewiakoff under the name Nassula aurea. Detail of cytopharyngeal ""eel-basket.""  Key to abbreviations:  kr--Plasmatic collar of the rod system o--Mouth r--Plasmatic ring encircling the cyrtos (basket) st--Cytopharyngeal basket vh--Cavity before mouth opening

Originally described by Ehrenberg under the name Nassula aurea.

Originally described by Ehrenberg under the name Nassula elegans.

Originally described by Ehrenberg under the name Nassula elegans.

Portrait of the marine nassulid ciliate, Paranassula brunnea (Fabre-Domerge,1885) Fauré-Fremiet,1963. The cell body is an elongate cylinder rounded anteriorly and posteriorly. Size varies from medium to large (100-300 µm). The genus is distinguished by the unique oral apparatus, which lies in the anterior 1/4 of the body. There is an atrial depression within which two short polykinetids are located. This atrium leads to a stout cytopharyngeal basket. The somatic ciliature is composed of closely spaced uniform longitudinal kineties. There is a short straight preoral suture. There is a long centrally located vermiform macronucleus. A single contractile vacuole is located in the mid-body. Collected from a commercial saltwater aquarium in Boise, Idaho. DIC.

Lateral view of the marine nassulid ciliate, Paranassula brunnea (Fabre-Domerge,1885)Fauré-Fremiet,1963. The cell body is an elongate cylinder rounded anteriorly and posteriorly. Size varies from medium to large (100-300 µm). The genus is distinguished by the unique oral apparatus, which lies in the anterior 1/4 of the body. There is an atrial depression within which two short polykinetids are located. This atrium leads to a stout cytopharyngeal basket (seen well here). The somatic ciliature is composed of closely spaced uniform longitudinal kineties. There is a short straight preoral suture. There is a long centrally located vermiform macronucleus. A single contractile vacuole is located in the mid-body. Collected from a commercial saltwater aquarium in Boise, Idaho. DIC.

Optical section of the marine nassulid ciliate, Paranassula brunnea (Fabre-Domerge,1885)Fauré-Fremiet,1963. The cell body is an elongate cylinder rounded anteriorly and posteriorly. Size varies from medium to large (100-300 µm). The genus is distinguished by the unique oral apparatus, which lies in the anterior 1/4 of the body. There is an atrial depression (viewer's left here) within which two short polykinetids are located. This atrium leads to a stout cytopharyngeal basket. The somatic ciliature is composed of closely spaced uniform longitudinal kineties. There is a short straight preoral suture. There is a long centrally located vermiform macronucleus (seen here). A single contractile vacuole is located in the mid-body (viewer's right in this image). Collected from a commercial saltwater aquarium in Boise, Idaho. DIC.

Portrait of the nassophorean ciliate, Chilodontopsis depressa (Perty, 1852). The cell is dorsoventrally flattened. The right side is convex meeting the straight left side at a rostrum. The somatic ciliature is denser on the ventral side with an indistinct feathery hypostomial frange of longer cilia slanting posteriorly to the cytostome from the rostrum anteriorly to the right margin of the body (yellow arrowheads). The right ventral kineties curve around the anterior end to meet the straight left ventral kineties to the left of the cytostome (red arrowhead) at the line of the hypostomial frange. The cytopharyngeal basket or cyrtos is seen anteriorly (red arrowhead). A distinctive large contractile vacuole fills the posterior end of the cell. The central macronucleus and micronucleus are spherical. C. depressa feeds on bacteria, diatoms and green algae. Collected from freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho September 2003. DIC optics 

Portrait of the nassophorean ciliate, Chilodontopsis depressa (Perty, 1852). This image shows a coronal optical section through the cell center. The cell is dorsoventrally flattened. The right side is convex meeting the straight left side at a rostrum. The somatic ciliature (not seen here) is denser on the ventral side with an indistinct feathery hypostomial frange of cilia slanting posteriorly to the cytostome from the rostrum anteriorly to the right margin of the body. The right ventral kineties curve around the anterior end to meet the straight left ventral kineties to the left of the cytostome at the line of the hypostomial frange. The cytopharyngeal basket or cyrtos is seen anteriorly. A distinctive large contractile vacuole fills the posterior end of the cell. The central macronucleus and micronucleus are spherical. C. depressa feeds on bacteria, diatoms (seen in this cell) and green algae. Collected from freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho September 2003. DIC optics

Ventral infraciliature of the nassophorean ciliate, Chilodontopsis depressa (Perty, 1852). The cell is dorsoventrally flattened. The right side is convex meeting the straight left side at a rostrum. The somatic ciliature is denser on the ventral side with an indistinct feathery hypostomial frange of cilia slanting posteriorly to the cytostome from the rostrum anteriorly to the right margin of the body (seen well here). The right ventral kineties curve around the anterior end to meet the straight left ventral kineties to the left of the cytostome at the line of the hypostomial frange. The cytopharyngeal basket or cyrtos is seen anteriorly. A distinctive large contractile vacuole fills the posterior end of the cell (not seen here). The central macronucleus and micronucleus are spherical (darkly stained in this image). C. depressa feeds on bacteria, diatoms and green algae. Collected from freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho January 2005. Stained by a silver carbonate technic (see Foissner, W.Europ. J. Protistol.27,313-330;1991). Brightfield.

Portrait of Scaphidiodon. Slightly oblique view of large hypostome ciliate with prominent cytopharyngeal basket. Dorsal surface unciliated. Lobular posterior protrusion on dorsal surface. Multiple small peripheral contractile vacuoles. From freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho. Brightfield.

Detail of cytopharyngeal basket from Nassula aurea. Microtubules make up the rods, rod lamellae and sheath. EM taken on 3/2/71 by R. Allen with Hitachi HU11A TEM. Neg. 19,500X. Bar = 0.5 micron. This image is available in Richard Allen's collection. 

In vivo portrait of Nassula exigua (KAHL,1931). This small species has an aggregate of orange brown refractile droplets (possibly lipid) at the left anterior end toward the dorsum. Collected from an organically enriched alkaline ephemeral puddle with abundant filamentous cyanobateria near Boise, Idaho 43° 36' 49.63"N 116° 13' 23.31"W. August 2006. DIC.

Ventral infraciliature of Nassula exigua (KAHL,1931). There are only three small nassulid organelles extending to the left from beneath the cytostome (yellow arrowheads). The right paraoral membrane is composed of inclined dikinetids (red arrowhead).There is a single ventral contractile vacuole excretory pore (blue arrowhead). The cytopyge appears as a longitudinal linear structure just to the right of the first somatic kinety (green arrowhead). Collected from an organically enriched alkaline ephemeral puddle with abundant filamentous cyanobateria near Boise, Idaho 43° 36' 49.63"N 116° 13' 23.31"W. August 2006. Stained by the silver carbonate technique (see Foissner, W. Europ. J. Protistol., 27:313-330;1991).Brightfield.