acus, portrait

Description:

Lepocinclis acus (leap-oh-sink-liss ache-us), is a moderate sized euglenid, with a stiff pellicle. The cell is long and thin, posteriorly pointed, usually stiff but can twist and squirm a little. Flagella can be short. Although it can squirm it is not very actively metabolic. With large numbers of small plastids. This image shows (from anterior - top) the emergent flagellum, stigma, flagellar pocket with inserting flagella, small plastids, thin rod-like elements of paramylon, and the nucleus. Differential interference contrast.