Bodonidae

Bodo (Boe-dough) platyrhynchus Larsen and Patterson, 1990. Cells are about 5 to 9 microns long, dorso-ventrally flattened and slightly flexible. The anterior margin of the cell is flattened. Cell outline is ovoid and two flagella insert subapically. The anterior flagellum is shorter than the cell and beats stiffly from side to side. The trailing posterior flagellum is about twice the length of the cell and is acronematic. The cells glide slowly with a waggling movement, but may more rarely swim with a slow rotating movement. Rarely observed.

Bodo platyrhynchus Larsen and Patterson, 1990. Bodo cells that are about 5 to 9 microns long, dorso-ventrally flattened and slightly flexible. The anterior margin of the cell is flattened. Cell outline is ovoid and two flagella insert subapically. The anterior flagellum is shorter than the cell and beats stiffly from side to side. The trailing posterior flagellum is about twice the length of the cell and is acronematic. The cells glide slowly with a waggling movement, but may more rarely swim with a slow rotating movement.

Bodo ovatus Moroff, 1904. Bodo cells that are ellipsoid to oval, 10-12 microns long and 6-7 microns wide. The flagella rise at the rounded anterior end of the cell, the posterior flagellum is somewhat shorter than the anterior one. This is not the same species as Bodo ovatus (Dujardin, 1862) Stein, 1878. This means that Bodo ovatus Moroff is a junior homonym of Bodo ovatus (Dujardin, 1862) Stein, 1878, and the name will have to be changed.

Bodo globosus Stein, 1878. Bodo cells that during movement are globular or ovoid, without any anterior process. The trailing flagellum is invariably much longer than the anterior one. The contractile vacuole lies in the anterior half of the body. Solid food particles are taken in near base of flagella. Length of body 9 to 12 microns, diameter 8-11 microns.

Bodo celer Klebs, 1893. Bodo cells that are oval, anteriorly beak-shaped, 8-10 microns long and 4-5.5 microns wide. Two flagella insert subapically. The anterior flagellum is about the cell length and the posterior flagellum is longer than the cell. The cells swim with a rotating movement. One contractile vacuole in the anterior part of the cell. Bodo deisgnis may be a synonym of this species. This species may be a synonym of Bodo designis.

Bodo saltans (beau-dough), a genus of kinetoplastid flagellates. Traditionally regarded as being very widespread and numerous, but this was at a time when most small free-living flagellates were assigned to the genus Bodo. Bodonids have two flagella inserting into a small pocket, the presence of which is suggested by the dent in the right anterior margin of the cell. This is Bodo saltans, which is unlike most species in the genus because cells attach to the substrate by the tip of the recurrent flagellum, as can be seen in this group of cells. These cells also jerk or kick, and this behaviour is very distinctive. Phase contrast.

Bodo (beau-dough), a genus of kinetoplastid flagellates. Traditionally regarded as being very widespread and numerous, but this was at a time when most small free-living flagellates were assigned to the genus Bodo. Bodonids have two flagella inserting into a small pocket, the presence of which is suggested by the dent in the right anterior margin of the cell. This is Bodo saltans, which is atypical of most species in the genus because cells attach to the substrate by the tip of the recurrent flagellum, and they filter feed somehow using the anterior flagellum which is directed towards the back of the cell. The white region is the contractile vacuole, and this released its content into the adjacent flagellar pocket, not visible in this image. Phase contrast.

Bodo saltans (beau-dough), a genus of kinetoplastid flagellates. Traditionally regarded as being very widespread and numerous, but this was at a time when most small free-living flagellates were assigned to the genus Bodo. Bodonids have two flagella inserting into a small pocket, the presence of which is suggested by the dent in the right anterior margin of the cell. This is Bodo saltans, which is atypical because cells attach to the substrate by the tip of the recurrent flagellum, as can be seen in this group of cells. These cells also jerk or kick, and this behaviour is very distinctive. Phase contrast.

Bodo (boe-dough) (saltans) a kinetoplastid flagellate. This species is unlike others in the genus because it feeds on particles (bacteria) in suspension and not bacteria which adhere to surfaces. Differential interference contrast. Material from Nymph Creek and Nymph Lake, thermal sites within Yellowstone National Park, photograph by Kathy Sheehan and David Patterson.

Bodo (bow-dough) saltans Ehrenberg, 1832. Cells are about 5 - 6 microns long, somewhat elliptical and often attached to the substrate by the tip of the posterior flagellum. While attached the flagellum bends quickly so that the cells jerk. Two flagella insert subapically, the anterior flagellum is slightly shorter than the cell and is usually directed backwards, and the non-acronematic posterior flagellum is about 3 times the cell length. Rarely observed in marine habitats, common in freshwater sites.

Bodo saltans Ehrenberg, 1832. Bodo cells that are about 5 - 6 microns long, somewhat elliptical and often attached to the substrate by the tip of the posterior flagellum. While attached, the flagellum bends quickly so that the cells jerk. Two flagella insert subapically, the anterior flagellum is slightly shorter than the cell and is usually directed backwards, and the non-acronematic posterior flagellum is about 3 times the cell length.

Bodo. A common kinetoplastid flagellate, with 2 flagella, the longer one is usually recurrent and is acronematic (the tip is thinner than the rest of the flagellum), the anterior flagellum usually projects forward. Bodo saltans is usually attached to the substrate by the recurrent flagellum, this cell was a gliding cell encountered in a culture of Bodo saltans provided by Gu Xi-wen oif teh Institute of Hydrobiology in Wuhan. Phase contrast.

Bodo is a very common free-living flagellate. The cell is shaped like a kidney bean, with two flagella near the front end (upper right of the cell). One flagellum is stretched along the right side of the body in this image. The other flagellum is three or four times longer than the body and attaches the cell to surfaces.