Lembadionidae

Matute, La Rioja, Spain

Villar del Pedroso, Extremadura, Espaa

Matalebreras, Castille and Leon, Spain

Canencia, Madrid, Spain

Ribadelago de Franco, Castilla y Len, Espaa

Arboli, Catalonia, Spain

Arbol, Catalunya, Espaa

Ribadelago, Castille and Leon, Spain

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Portrait (optical section) 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. 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. 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. This featurte distinguishes L. bullinum from L. magnum which has a striate pellicular pattern. There is usually a tuft of longer caudal cilia. The contractile vacuole (seen just anterior to the macronucleus here) connects with its excretory pore by a long curved canal (not seen here). The single ovoid macronucleus (seen here) and micronucleus (not seen in this image) are posterior. Collected from a freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho May 2004. DIC optics.

Portrait (dorsal 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 (not seen 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 (not seen 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 in this image). 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.

Key to Schewiakoff's abbreviations:  b -- Sensory bristle cv -- Contractile vacuole d -- Ingested diatom ek -- Ectoplasm hy -- Hypostome l.Pr -- Left edge of peristome mi -- Inner undulating membrane ml -- Left undulating membrane mr -- Right undulating membrane  N -- Macronucleus ncl -- Micronucleus o -- Mouth P -- Peristome pe -- Excretory pore r.pr -- Right edge of peristome  

Right side view.  Key to Schewiakoff's abbreviations:  cv -- Contractile vacuole ccv -- Canal of the contractile vacuole hy -- Hypostome l -- Border, trim l.Pr -- Left edge of Peristome ml -- Left undulating membrane mr -- Right undulating membrane o -- Mouth pe -- Excretory pore r.Pr -- Right edge of Peristome 

Left side view, with left undulating membrane removed to better show the shape of the right and inner undulating membranes.  Key to Schewiakoff's abbreviations:  b - Sensory bristle ccv -- Canal of the contractile vacuole cv -- Contractile vacuole hy -- Hypostome l -- Border, rim l.Pr -- Left edge of the Peristome mi -- Inner undulating membrane mr -- Right undulating membrane N -- Macronucleus ncl -- Micronucleus pe -- Excretory pore r.Pr -- Right edge of peristome

Dorsal silverline system (argyrome) of the oligohymenophorean ciliate, Lembadion lucens (Maskell, 1887) Kahl, 1931. There are 25-35 evenly spaced longitudinal somatic kineties. The posterior 2/3 of the pellicle of L. lucens has an areolate pattern divided into small roughly rectangular depressions (similar to the pattern of the entire pellicle of L. bullinum). The dikinetids of the somatic kineties occupy the center of the rectangles. The anterior 1/3 of the pellicle has a longitudinal striate pattern (similar to the pattern of the entire pellicle of L. magnum). The somatic dikinetids lie in the center of these striae. This specimen is stained by the silver carbonate technic (see Foissner, W. Europ. J. Protistol., 27:313-330;1991). This technic usually demonstrates the infraciliature which includes kinetodesmal fibrils and other structures not considered part of the silverline system but in this instance the silveline system and somatic dikinetids are stained. L.lucens is distinguished from L. magnum and L. bullinum by its smaller size and the structure of its pellicle. Specimen collected from a freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho 2005.Brightfield.

Portrait (dorsal view) of the oligohymenophorean ciliate, Lembadion lucens (Maskell, 1887) Kahl, 1931 showing detail of the pellicle. The 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. 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. There are 25-35 evenly spaced longitudinal somatic kineties. The posterior 2/3 of the pellicle of L. lucens has an areolate pattern divided into small roughly rectangular depressions (similar to the pattern of the entire pellicle of L. bullinum). The dikinetids of the somatic kineties occupy the center of the rectangles. The anterior 1/3 of the pellicle has a longitudinal striate pattern (similar to the pattern of the entire pellicle of L. magnum). The somatic dikinetids lie in the center of these striae. Ingested diatoms and highly refractile crystals are visible in the cytoplasm. Collected from a freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho July 2004. DIC .

Portrait (ventral view) of the oligohymenophorean ciliate, Lembadion lucens (Maskell, 1887) Kahl, 1931 showing detail of the pellicle. The 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. 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. There are 25-35 evenly spaced longitudinal somatic kineties. The posterior 2/3 of the pellicle of L. lucens has an areolate pattern divided into small roughly rectangular depressions (similar to the pattern of the entire pellicle of L. bullinum). The dikinetids of the somatic kineties occupy the center of the rectangles. The anterior 1/3 of the pellicle has a longitudinal striate pattern (similar to the pattern of the entire pellicle of L. magnum). The somatic dikinetids lie in the center of these striae. These details are seen here to the viewr's right of the peristome. Collected from a freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho July 2004. DIC .

Portrait (ventral view) of the oligohymenophorean ciliate, Lembadion lucens (Maskell, 1887) Kahl, 1931. The 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. 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. There are 25-35 evenly spaced longitudinal somatic kineties. The posterior 2/3 of the pellicle of L. lucens has an areolate pattern divided into small roughly rectangular depressions (similar to the pattern of the entire pellicle of L. bullinum). The dikinetids of the somatic kineties occupy the center of the rectangles. The anterior 1/3 of the pellicle has a longitudinal striate pattern (similar to the pattern of the entire pellicle of L. magnum). The somatic dikinetids lie in the center of these striae. There is usually a tuft of longer caudal cilia. The contractile vacuole (seen here to the viewer’s right of the macronucleus) connects with its excretory pore by a long curved canal (not seen here). The single ovoid macronucleus and micronucleus are posterior (the micronucleus is seen overlying the macronucleus here). Ingested diatoms and highly refractile crystalline inclusions are visible in the cytoplasm. L. lucens is distinguished from L. magnum and L. bullinum by its smaller size and the structure of its pellicle.Collected from a freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho July 2004. DIC .

Ventral infraciliature of the oligohymenophorean ciliate, Lembadion lucens (Maskell, 1887) Kahl, 1931. There are 25-35 evenly spaced longitudinal somatic kineties. The posterior 2/3 of the pellicle of L. lucens has an areolate pattern divided into small roughly rectangular depressions (similar to the pattern of the entire pellicle of L. bullinum). The dikinetids of the somatic kineties occupy the center of the rectangles. The anterior 1/3 of the pellicle has a longitudinal striate pattern (similar to the pattern of the entire pellicle of L. magnum). The somatic dikinetids lie in the center of these striae. This specimen is stained by the silver carbonate technic (see Foissner, W. Europ. J. Protistol., 27:313-330;1991). This technic usually demonstrates the infraciliature which includes kinetodesmal fibrils and other structures not considered part of the silverline system but in this instance the silveline system and somatic dikinetids are stained. L.lucens is distinguished from L. magnum and L. bullinum by its smaller size and the structure of its pellicle. Specimen collected from a freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho 2005.Brightfield.