Prostomatea

Portrait (ventral surface) of Holophrya discolor (Ehrenberg,1833) a common prostome ciliate. Body shape variable from nearly spheroid to oblong. Some species with zoochlorellae. The oral aperture is an anterior apical or somewhat offset invagination (seen here). The cytopharynx is supported by fine trichites (not visible here). Ciliature is dense and holotrichous with three double rows of kinetids forming a "dorsal brush" extending posterior from the oral aperture about 1/3 the body length. There are some longer caudal cilia. The contractile vacuole is posterior. Holophrya sp. are distinguished from the very similar genus, Prorodon, by their spherical or ellipsoid macronuclei. Prorodon sp. typically have sausage shaped or ribbon-shaped macronuclei. Omnivorous. From organically enriched freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho. DIC optics.

Portrait(dorsal surface) of Holophrya discolor (Ehrenberg,1833),a common prostome ciliate. Body shape variable from nearly spheroid to oblong. Some species with zoochlorellae. The oral aperture is an anterior apical or somewhat offset invagination. The cytopharynx is supported by fine trichites (not visible here). Ciliature is dense and holotrichous with three double rows of kinetids forming a "dorsal brush" extending posterior from the oral aperture about 1/3 the body length (seen in this image). There are some longer caudal cilia. The contractile vacuole is posterior. Holophrya sp. are distinguished from the very similar genus, Prorodon, by their spherical or ellipsoid macronuclei. Prorodon sp. typically have sausage shaped or ribbon-shaped macronuclei. Omnivorous. From organically enriched freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho. DIC optics.

Portrait (optical coronal section) of Holophrya discolor (Ehrenberg,1833), a common prostome ciliate. Body shape variable from nearly spheroid to oblong. Some species with zoochlorellae. The oral aperture is an anterior apical or somewhat offset invagination. The cytopharynx is supported by fine trichites (seen here). Ciliature is dense and holotrichous with three double rows of kinetids forming a "dorsal brush" extending posterior from the oral aperture about 1/3 the body length. There are some longer caudal cilia. The spherical macronucleus located in the mid-body has a characteristic large nucleolus. The micronucleus is attached to the right posterior of the macronucleus in this image. Small peripheral mucocysts are present. The contractile vacuole is posterior. Numerous food vacuoles are seen. Holophrya sp. are distinguished from the very similar genus, Prorodon, by their spherical or ellipsoid macronuclei. Prorodon sp. typically have sausage shaped or ribbon-shaped macronuclei. Omnivorous. From organically enriched freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho. DIC optics.

Infraciliature of the prostome ciliate Holophrya discolor (Ehrenberg,1833). Densely stained nematodesmata ring the anterior apical cytostome.The dorsal brush of the "enklitoloph dexiotrop" type is seen anteriorly to the viewer's right (See: Hiller, S. and Bardele, C. Arch. Protistenk. 136:213-236, 1988). Collected from a freshwater aquaculture tub near Boise, Idaho.August 2004. Stained byt the silver carbonate technique (see Foissner, W. Europ. J. Protistol., 27:313-330;1991).Brightfield.

Anterolateral view of Holophrya discolor (Ehrenberg,1833)showing the elliptical anterior apical cytostome.DIC.

a -- Anus al -- Pellicular alveoli cv -- Contractile vacuole ft -- Fat droplets N -- Macronucleus ncl -- Micronucleus nk -- Food particle o -- Mouth oe-- Throat p -- Pellicle pe -- Excretory pore of the contractile vacuole st -- Cytopharyngeal basket  

Key to Schewiakoff's abbreviations:  al -- Pellicular alveoli cl -- Cilia k -- Plasmatic collar of the rod apparatus Mf -- Buccal are o -- Mouth st -- Cytopharyngeal basket

Oral Infraciliature of Nolandia nolandi (KAHL, 1930) SMALL & LYNN, 1985.Collected from a freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho. June 2008.Stained by the Protargol technique (Wilbert modification) (see Foissner, W. Europ. J. Protistol., 27:313-330;1991).Brightfield.

Calcified armor plates of Nolandia nolandi (KAHL, 1930) SMALL & LYNN, 1985.Collected from a freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho. June 2008.DIC.

Calcified armor plates of Nolandia nolandi (KAHL, 1930) SMALL & LYNN, 1985 .Collected from a freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho. June 2008.DIC.

Nolandia nolandi (KAHL, 1930) SMALL & LYNN, 1985.Yellow arrowhead=caudal cilium.Green arrowhead=posterior spine.Collected from a freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho. June 2008.Brightfield,closed condenser.

Infraciliature of the planktonic protstomatid ciliate, Apsiktrata gracilis (Penard,1922)Foissner, Berger & Kohmann 1994. Morphologically quite similar to members of the genus Holophrya but lacking a "dorsal brush". The anterior apical cytostome and its circumoral dikinetids is seen here.There is a long caudal cilium in vivo (only its basal body is seen here at the posterior pole). Collected from a freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho. Silver carbonate stain (see Foissner, W. Europ. J. Protistol., 27:313-330;1991). Brightfield

Infraciliature of the planktonic protstomatid ciliate, Apsiktrata gracilis (Penard,1922)Foissner, Berger & Kohmann 1994. Morphologically quite similar to members of the genus Holophrya but lacking a "dorsal brush". The anterior apical cytostome and its circumoral dikinetids is seen here.The microfibrillar system associted with the basal bodies of the somatic kineties is visible here. Collected from a freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho. Silver carbonate stain (see Foissner, W. Europ. J. Protistol., 27:313-330;1991). Brightfield

Portrait of the planktonic protstomatid ciliate, Apsiktrata gracilis (Penard,1922)Foissner, Berger & Kohmann 1994. Morphologically quite similar to members of the genus Holophrya but lacking a "dorsal brush". The anterior apical cytostome and its circumoral dikinetids is seen here.The microfibrillar system associted with the basal bodies of the somatic kineties is visible here. Collected from a freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho. DIC.

Portrait of the planktonic protstomatid ciliate, Apsiktrata gracilis (Penard,1922)Foissner, Berger & Kohmann 1994. Morphologically quite similar to members of the genus Holophrya but lacking a "dorsal brush". The anterior apical cytostome and its circumoral dikinetids is seen here.The microfibrillar system associted with the basal bodies of the somatic kineties is visible here. Collected from a freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho. Silver carbonate stain (see Foissner, W. Europ. J. Protistol., 27:313-330;1991). DIC.

Portrait of free-swimming Vasicola ciliata (Tatem, 1869) that has vacated its lorica. Vasicola ciliata is a metacystid ciliate that produces a thin, transparent pseudochitinous vase-like lorica with shallow transverse corrugations (not seen in this image). In the lorica the cell body assumes a more globular shape. When swimming free the cell is more elongate. The circular cytostome is located in the center of the truncate anterior end. It opens into a cytopharynx supported by indistinct trichites. There are three concentric ciliary rings around the cytostome, the innermost with a single ciliary row, the middle with a double ciliary row and a third ring of four ciliary rows. The uniform longitudinal ciliary rows are formed of dikinetid kinetosomes the alignment which gives the appearance of transverse ciliary bands (paratenes). There is a sparse tuft of long caudal cilia (only one long eccentric posterior cilium is seen in the similar genus, Metacystis and another metacystid, Pelatractus, lacks caudal cilia). Multiple food vacuoles are visible in the cytoplasm. The central spherical macronucleus is seen in this image. The base of the lorica is partly filled with the expelled contents of defecation vacuoles. A single peripheral contractile vacuole is located in the posterior third of the cell (seen in this image on the viewer's left). A large, clear terminal vacuole may occur but is not seen in this image. The cell often vacates the lorica when disturbed. Vasicola ciliata is sapropelic and feeds on sulfur bacteria. Collected from stagnant freshwater sediment with strong smell of hydrogen sulfide near Boise, Idaho January 2004. DIC optics.

Anterior apical view of Vasicola ciliata (Tatem, 1869), a metacystid ciliate that produces a thin, transparent pseudochitinous vase-like lorica with shallow transverse corrugations (not seen in this image). The circular cytostome is located in the center of the truncate anterior end. It opens into a cytopharynx supported by indistinct trichites. There are three concentric ciliary rings around the cytostome, the innermost with a single ciliary row, the middle with a double ciliary row and a third ring of four ciliary rows. The uniform longitudinal ciliary rows are formed of dikinetids kinetosomes the alignment which gives the appearance of transverse ciliary bands (paratenes). . The cell often vacates the lorica when disturbed. When swimming free the cell is more elongate. The uniform longitudinal ciliary rows are formed of dikinetid kinetosomes the alignment which gives the appearance of transverse ciliary bands (paratenes). There is a sparse tuft of long caudal cilia (only one long eccentric posterior cilium is seen in the similar genus, Metacystis and another metacystid, Pelatractus, lacks caudal cilia). Vasicola ciliata is sapropelic and feeds on sulfur bacteria. Collected from stagnant freshwater sediment with strong smell of hydrogen sulfide near Boise, Idaho January 2004. DIC optics.

Portrait of Vasicola ciliata (Tatem, 1869), a metacystid ciliate that produces a thin, transparent pseudochitinous vase-like lorica with shallow transverse corrugations (seen in this image). In the lorica the cell body assumes a more globular shape. The circular cytostome is located in the center of the truncate anterior end. It opens into a cytopharynx supported by indistinct trichites. There are three concentric ciliary rings around the cytostome, the innermost with a single ciliary row, the middle with a double ciliary row and a third ring of four ciliary rows. The uniform longitudinal ciliary rows are formed of dikinetids kinetosomes the alignment which gives the appearance of transverse ciliary bands (paratenes). There is a sparse tuft of long caudal cilia (only one long eccentric posterior cilium is seen in the similar genus, Metacystis and another metacystid, Pelatractus, lacks caudal cilia). Multiple food vacuoles are visible in the cytoplasm. The central spherical macronucleus is not seen in this image. The base of the lorica is partly filled with the expelled contents of defecation vacuoles. A single peripheral contractile vacuole is located in the posterior third of the cell. A large, clear terminal vacuole may occur but is not seen in this image. The cell often vacates the lorica when disturbed. Vasicola ciliata is sapropelic and feeds on sulfur bacteria. Collected from stagnant freshwater pond sediment near Boise,Idaho;43°19'07.45"N  115°27'31.99"W,  elev.4712 ft.;October2005. DIC optics.

Portrait of Vasicola ciliata (Tatem, 1869), a metacystid ciliate that produces a thin, transparent pseudochitinous vase-like lorica with shallow transverse corrugations (seen in this image). In the lorica the cell body assumes a more globular shape. The circular cytostome is located in the center of the truncate anterior end. It opens into a cytopharynx supported by indistinct trichites. There are three concentric ciliary rings around the cytostome, the innermost with a single ciliary row, the middle with a double ciliary row and a third ring of four ciliary rows. The uniform longitudinal ciliary rows are formed of dikinetids kinetosomes the alignment which gives the appearance of transverse ciliary bands (paratenes). There is a sparse tuft of long caudal cilia (only one long eccentric posterior cilium is seen in the similar genus, Metacystis and another metacystid, Pelatractus, lacks caudal cilia). Multiple food vacuoles are visible in the cytoplasm. The central spherical macronucleus is not seen in this image. The base of the lorica is partly filled with the expelled contents of defecation vacuoles. A single peripheral contractile vacuole is located in the posterior third of the cell. A large, clear terminal vacuole may occur but is not seen in this image. The cell often vacates the lorica when disturbed. Vasicola ciliata is sapropelic and feeds on sulfur bacteria. Collected from stagnant freshwater pond sediment near Boise,Idaho;43°19'07.45"N 115°27'31.99"W, elev.4712 ft.;October2005. Phase contrast.

Anterior apical view of the infraciliature of Vasicola ciliata (Tatem, 1869). The cytostome is at the base of a shallow funnel-shaped depressin. There are three groups of cilia encircling the cytostome 1)the circumoral kinety (yellow arrowhead) is composed of a single row of transversely oriented dikinetids 2) the anterior row of "membranelles" composed of a single row of longitudinally oriented dikinetids (blue arrowhead 3) the posterior row of "membranelles", a band of four longitudinal orietd kinetids (green arrowhead). The second somatic kinety is indicated by the red arrowhead. Longitudinal fibrils extend from the cytostome to the right of the kinetids. Stained by the silver carbonate technique (see Foissner, W. Europ. J. Protistol., 27:313-330;1991). Brightfield.