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Right dorsolateral surface view of the hymenostome ciliate, Frontonia angusta (Kahl, 1931). Very similar in overall apppearance to F. acuminata (Ehrenberg,1833)Buetschli,1889. F. angusta lacks the anterior apical collection of pigmented granules seen in F. acuminata and its contractile vacuole has 3-4 excretory pores (4 in this case).The approximately 6 µm long extrusomes are clearly visible. Ingested diatoms and green algae are present. Collected from a freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho.DIC.
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Optical section of the marine frontoniid ciliate, Schistophrya aplanata (Kahl,1933). Schistophrya is a monotypic genus. The cell outline is elongate and bluntly rounded anteriorly and posteriorly. The somatic ciliature is uniform. The pellicle is areolate (marked by uniform rectangular depressions). The slit-like oral aperture is located in mid-body and is bordered by thin slightly serrate lips (not seen in this image). The cytopharyngeal basket of fine trichites is not seen well in these images. A single contractile vacuole is located in the anterior half of the cell. There is a single ovoid macronucleus. A large aggregate of refractile dark granules is present at the anterior end. Fusiform subcortical extrusomes are present (seen in this image). S. aplanata is similar in appearance to the freshwater frontoniid ciliate, Clathrostoma viminale. Collected from a commercial saltwater aquarium in Boise, Idaho February 2004. DIC optics.
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Phase contrast micrograph showing clearly one contractile vacuole with five filled channels.
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Lembadion (lem-bad-ee-on) is a freshwater planktonic ciliate. It has a large scoop to one side of the body, moves through the water in a rotating motion. In this action it scoops up small planktonic algae - its food. Phase contrast.
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Paramecium (aurelia) (par-a-mee-see-um) is a very familiar genus of ciliates. They eat bacteria and have the mouth recessed in a buccal cavity, and the cell is often shaped with a scoop leading to the mouth. There are cilia all over the body with a caudal tuft of longer cilia at the back of the body. Usually with a layer of extrusomes (trichocysts) under the cell surface and a large oval macronucleus. Contractile vacuoles star-shaped. This species is P. aurelia, one of the smaller spindle-shaped (morpho)species. The (morpho) species is best distinguished by the presence of two small micronuclei pressed up against the macronucleus. Phase contrast.
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Paramecium aurelia and its Parasites.
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Ventral infraciliature of the hymenostome ciliate, Frontonia angusta (Kahl, 1931). Very similar in overall apppearance to F. acuminata (Ehrenberg,1833)Buetschli,1889. F. angusta lacks the anterior apical collection of pigmented granules seen in F. acuminata and its contractile vacuole has 3-4 excretory pores (not visible here).The prominent preoral and postoral sutures are visible. The 3 curved adoral membranelles are seen on the viewer's right of the oral apparatus. The vestibular ciliary rows are seen to the viewer's left of the the oral apparatus.The postoral ciliary field is seen abutting the posterior margin of the peristome to the viewer's right of the postoral suture.Stained by the silver carbonate technique (see Foissner, W. Europ. J. Protistol., 27:313-330;1991).Collected from a freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho.Brightfield.
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Portrait of the marine frontoniid ciliate, Schistophrya aplanata (Kahl, 1933). Schistophrya is a monotypic genus. The cell outline is elongate and bluntly rounded anteriorly and posteriorly. The somatic ciliature is uniform. The pellicle is areolate (marked by uniform rectangular depressions). The slit-like oral aperture is located in mid-body and is bordered by thin slightly serrate lips (seen well in this image). The cytopharyngeal basket of fine trichites is not seen well in these images. A single contractile vacuole is located in the anterior half of the cell. There is a single ovoid macronucleus. A large aggregate of refractile dark granules is present at the anterior end. Fusiform subcortical extrusomes are present. S. aplanata is similar in appearance to the freshwater frontoniid ciliate, Clathrostoma viminale. Collected from a commercial saltwater aquarium in Boise, Idaho February 2004. DIC optics.
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Lembadion (lem-bad-ee-on) is a freshwater planktonic ciliate. It has a large scoop to one side of the body, moves through the water in a rotating motion. In this action it scoops up small planktonic algae - its food. This one has been eating Cyclidium, which can be seen in the food vacuole. Differential interference contrast.
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Paramecium (aurelia) (par-a-mee-see-um) is a very familiar genus of ciliates and this (morpho) species is best distinguished by the presence of two small micronuclei pressed up against the macronucleus. They can be seen here to the north of the nucleus. Differential interference contrast.
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Portrait of the marine frontoniid ciliate, Schistophrya aplanata (Kahl,1933). Schistophrya is a monotypic genus. The cell outline is elongate and bluntly rounded anteriorly and posteriorly. The somatic ciliature is uniform. The pellicle is areolate (marked by uniform rectangular depressions). The slit-like oral aperture is located in mid-body and is bordered by thin slightly serrate lips (seen well in this image). The cytopharyngeal basket of fine trichites is not seen well in these images. A single contractile vacuole is located in the anterior half of the cell. There is a single ovoid macronucleus. A large aggregate of refractile dark granules is present at the anterior end. Fusiform subcortical extrusomes are present. S. aplanata is similar in appearance to the freshwater frontoniid ciliate, Clathrostoma viminale. Collected from a commercial saltwater aquarium in Boise, Idaho February 2004. DIC optics.
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Paramecium (aurelia) (par-a-mee-see-um) is a very familiar genus of ciliates and this (morpho) species is best distinguished by the presence of two small micronuclei pressed up against the macronucleus. This image shows the peniculi or compound ciliary organelles in the mouth. Phase contrast.
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Optical section of the marine frontoniid ciliate, Schistophrya aplanata (Kahl,1933). Schistophrya is a monotypic genus. The cell outline is elongate and bluntly rounded anteriorly and posteriorly. The somatic ciliature is uniform. The pellicle is areolate (marked by uniform rectangular depressions). The slit-like oral aperture is located in mid-body and is bordered by thin slightly serrate lips (not seen in this image). The cytopharyngeal basket of fine trichites is not seen well in these images. A single contractile vacuole is located in the anterior half of the cell. There is a single ovoid macronucleus. A large aggregate of refractile dark granules is present at the anterior end. Fusiform subcortical extrusomes are present (seen in this image). S. aplanata is similar in appearance to the freshwater frontoniid ciliate, Clathrostoma viminale. Collected from a commercial saltwater aquarium in Boise, Idaho February 2004. DIC optics.
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Portrait of Lembadion. Convex dorsum with concave ventral surface mostly occupied by large scoop-like buccal cavity. Buccal ciliature forms prominent "membranes" on right and left of buccal cavity. Swims rapidly rotating on long axis. Often with long tuft of caudal cilia. Dorsal contractile vacuole with collecting canals. From freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho. Brightfield.
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Paramecium (aurelia) (par-a-mee-see-um) is a very familiar genus of ciliates and this (morpho) species is best distinguished by the presence of two small micronuclei pressed up against the macronucleus. They can be seen here to the north of the nucleus. Phase contrast.
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Portrait of Clathrostoma viminale (Penard, 1922) a frontoniine ciliate. Similar in overall appearance to but smaller than Frontonia leucas. The cytostome is located in a slight depression in the anterior half of the body. There is a cytopharyngeal basket (seen well here) composed of fibrils (as found in Loxodes) rather than true trichites. The somatic ciliation is uniform with a postoral suture. The sausage-shaped macronucleus is seen here with an adjacent cluster of several (1-4) micronuclei at its posterior end. A single contractile vacuole is located in the posterior 1/3. Collected from a freshwater agricultural irrigation ditch near McCall, Idaho in September 2003. DIC optics.
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Portrait of Lembadion. Convex dorsum with concave ventral surface mostly occupied by large scoop-like buccal cavity. Buccal ciliature forms prominent "membranes" on right and left of buccal cavity. Swims rapidly rotating on long axis. Often with long tuft of caudal cilia. Dorsal contractile vacuole with collecting canals. From freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho. Brightfield.
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This cell was encountered around the margins of the alkaline Mono Lake. Paramecium is not known to occur in extreme habitats, but as the marginal regions of the pond receive run-off from the adjacent land, we may presume that it lived in a less extreme micro-habitat. It does, however, seem to be eating Picocystis - a common picophytoplankton organism in Mono Lake. Some extrusomes have been expelled from the central region of the cell. Phase contrast micrograph.
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Portrait of Clathrostoma viminale (Penard, 1922) a frontoniine ciliate (surface view). Similar in overall appearance to but smaller than Frontonia leucas. The cytostome is located in a slight depression in the anterior half of the body (seen well in this image). There is a cytopharyngeal basket composed of fibrils (as found in Loxodes) rather than true trichites. The somatic ciliation is uniform with a postoral suture (seen in this image). The sausage-shaped macronucleus (not seen in this image) has an adjacent cluster of several (1-4) micronuclei at its posterior end. A single contractile vacuole is located in the posterior 1/3. Collected from a freshwater agricultural irrigation ditch near McCall, Idaho in September 2003. DIC optics.
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Portrait (ventral view) of the oligohymenophorean ciliate, Lembadion bullinum (Müller,1786;Perty,1849). Cell outline is oval. The ventral surface is concave and the dorsum convex. The very large scoop-like peristome occupies most of the ventral surface (seen well here). The cytostome is at the posterior end of the peristome. There is a small undulating membrane on the right margin of the peristome. A large sheet-like adoral membranelle arises from the left margin of the peristome (seen well here). There are 40-60 evenly spaced longitudinal somatic kineties. The pellicle of L. bullinum, divided into small roughly rectangular depressions, has a distinct cribriform pattern (seen clearly to the left of the peristome). This feature distinguishes L. bullinum from L. magnum which has a striate pellicular pattern. There is usually a tuft of longer caudal cilia. The contractile vacuole connects with its excretory pore by a long curved canal (not seen here). The single ovoid macronucleus and micronucleus are posterior (not seen here). Collected from a freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho May 2004. DIC optics.