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Spathidium (spa-thid-ee-um) porculus, the body is elongate, the posterior end is bluntly pointed or rounded but the anterior end is distinctively swollen - often fan-shaped and obliquely truncated. There is an ciliated apical ridge which is lined by toxicysts. The oral aperture is a slit that lies along the length of this ridge. The cilia are uniformly distributed in longitudinal parallel rows on both lateral surfaces. The macronucleus is highly variable, often elongate, ribbon-like or moniliform. The contractile vacuole is single and at the end of the cell. Spathidium feeds on other ciliates. It lives in fresh water ponds and lakes. The species is unmistakable because of its nose like projection of the oral apparatus. Slightly squashed cell. 136 microns. Differential interference contrast.
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Ventral infraciliature of the haptorid ciliate, Monodinium balbianii (Fabre-Domergue, 1888). The dorsal side is distinguished by the five parallel rows of clavate (club-shaped) cilia (the dorsal brush) just posterior to the anterior wreath of ciliated basal bodies. The longitudinal files of somatic kinetosomes (seen here) are unciliated except for the dorsal brush (not seen in this ventral view) and the obliquely inclined closely spaced ciliated basal bodies that form the ciliary girdle. Darkly stained extrusomes are visible here. Collected from a freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho March 2005. Stained by the silver carbonate technique (see Foissner, W. Europ. J. Protistol., 27:313-330;1991). Brightfield.
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Mesodinium (me-sew-din-ee-um) common marine ciliate, small with a wreath which includes forward and rearward pointing cilia. Often small tentacles emerge from the apex of the cell. The tentacles may seem forked at their tips They have a jumping motion often coming to rest, spinning for a few seconds before dashing off to somewhere else. One species includes red algal symbionts and may occur in sufficient numbers to cause a red tide - but not toxic. Phase contrast.
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Right lateral view of the haptorid ciliate, Acropisthium mutabile (Perty, 1852). The cell body is ovoid to cylindrical. The posterior tapers to a short point. The fixation and staining process swells the cells. The anterior end forms a blunt snout with an apical cytostome. Short trichites support the cytopharynx (not seen here). There is a girdle of longer cilia just posterior to the bare anterior snout. There are 22 widely spaced uniform longitudinal somatic kineties. This individual is in the middle stage of division. The equatorial band of closely spaced kintosomes will form the circumoral ciliary girdle of the posterior daughter cell (opisthe). The anterior halves of three dorsal kineties are made up of clavate (short club-shaped) cilia forming a dorsal brush (seen well in this view). The dorsal brush of the opisthe is seen well here. Collected from freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho August 2004. This specimen is stained by a silver carbonate technique (see Foissner, W.Europ. J. Protistol.27,313-330;1991). Brightfield optics.
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Two of the three types of lepidosomes of Luporinophrys micelae (FOISSNER,2005). The type II are not seen in this image.Stained by the silver carbonate technique (see Foissner, W. Europ. J. Protistol., 27:313-330;1991).Brightfield.
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Left side of the pleurostome ciliate,Opisthodon niemeccense (Stein,1859).The flexible cell is lanceolate in outline and laterally compressed.The somatic kineties of the right side meet at an anterior suture.A single file dorsal brush terminates in a small anterior depression (seen here).Thre are two perioral kineties.The oral aperture extends from the anterior end to the mid-body (on viewer's left). The macronucleus is bipartite. There is one contractile vacuole dorsally(on viewer's right here). Collected from sapropelic bottom sediments of a freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho;43°19'07.45"N 115°27'31.99"W, elev.4712 ft.October 2005.DIC.
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Loxophyllum setigerum, var. armatum. a,b,c: ventral, dorsal, and lateral aspects.
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Mesodinium cinctum--Side and top views.
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Lionotus fasciola.
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Lacrymaria coronata.
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Lagostelle, Galicia, Espaa
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Muelas del Pan, Castille and Leon, Spain
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Arcillo, Castille and Leon, Spain
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Sobrado, Galicia, Spain
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Mahide, Castille and Leon, Spain
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Olvega, Castille and Leon, Spain
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Ribadelago de Franco, Castilla y Len, Espaa
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Ribadelago de Franco, Castille and Leon, Spain
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Ribadelago de Franco, Castille and Leon, Spain
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Canencia, Madrid, Spain
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Trujillo, Extremadura, Spain
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Pera, Faro, Portugal
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Ribadelago, Castilla y Len, Espaa