Description of Leptopharynx costatus
provided by BioPedia
Ciliate, 20-50 x 20-30 microns, usually about 30 microns long. Shape approximately lens-shaped, being strongly flattened laterally . Dorsal edge nearly semicircular, more ventral with the mouth funnel forming an obtuse protruding nose anterior to the mouth. Macronucleus spherical in body center. 1 spherical micronucleus. Contractile vacuole ventral and nearly central, behind it often a second vacuole (cytopyge), in which the food remains are collected before egestion. Resting extrusomes are spindle-shaped, arranged along the ciliary rows. Discharged extrusomes are anchor-shaped. There are usually 9 clearly curved ciliary rows, of which only the two are continuous at the dorsal edge; the remaining are interrupted in the middle range. 4 diagonal (preoral) ciliary rows form a cluster in front of the mouth. Oral apparatus lies near the middle of the body .
