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Carpediemonas (carp-ee-dee-a-moan-ass) bialata (Ruinen, 1938) Lee and Patterson, 2000. Cell outline is kidney-shaped. Cells are 6 to 14 microns long (mostly 9 to 12 microns), not rigid, and with a longitudinal ventral groove. A membrane moves down along the groove every 4 - 6 seconds. Two flagella emerge from the anterior part of the cell, the anterior flagellum bends backwards, is about the length of the cell and beats over the cell with a slow sweeping motion. The acronematic posterior flagellum beats asymmetrically and is about 1.5 times cell length. The posterior flagellum may vibrate actively in the groove when not beating. The cells consume bacteria up to 5 microns, and food materials are transferred by the moving membrane to the back of the cell. The cells may have many food vacuoles and attach to the substrate with the tip of the posterior flagellum. The cells move slowly by skidding or gliding with the anterior flagellum beating with a flicking motion. Commonly observed in late cultures.
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Carpediemonas (car-ped-ee-o-moan-ass), an excavate flagellate - in that there is a ventral groove (to the right of this cell) that is used in feeding. Two flagella insert at the head of the groove. One lies within the groove and beats rapidly, the other extends forward and usually curving back over the anterior end of the cell as in this image. A flap of cytoplasm moves backwards along the groove every few seconds when cells are actively feeding. Nucleus located near the anterior pole of the cell. Phase contrast.
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Carpediemonas (car-ped-ee-o-moan-ass), an excavate flagellate - in that there is a ventral groove that is used in feeding. Two flagella insert at the head of the groove. One lies within the groove and beats rapidly, the other extends forward and usually curves back over the anterior end of the cell as in this image. Phase contrast.
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Carpediemonas bialata (Ruinen, 1938) Lee and Patterson, 2000. Cell outline is kidney-shaped. Cells are 6 to 14 microns long, not rigid, and with a longitudinal ventral groove. A membrane moves down along the groove every 4 - 6 seconds. Two flagella emerge from the anterior part of the cell, the anterior flagellum bends backwards, is about the length of the cell and beats over the cell with a slow sweeping motion. The acronematic posterior flagellum beats asymmetrically and is about 1.5 times cell length. The posterior flagellum may vibrate actively in the groove when not beating. The cells consume bacteria up to 5 microns long, and food materials are transferred by the moving membrane to the back of the cell. The cells may have many food vacuoles and attach to the substrate with the tip of the posterior flagellum. The cells move slowly by skidding or gliding with the anterior flagellum beating with a flicking motion.
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Carpediemonas (car-ped-ee-o-moan-ass), an excavate flagellate - in that there is a ventral groove that is used in feeding. Two flagella insert at the head of the groove. One lies within the groove and beats rapidly, the other extends forward and usually curves back over the anterior end of the cell as in this image. Phase contrast
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Carpediemonas (carp-ee-dee-a-moan-ass) membranifera Ekebom et al., 1996. Cells are elliptical or obovate and 3 to 6 microns long with a longitudinal ventral groove, which extends most of cell length. When squashed, the cell is pliable. Two flagella unequal in length emerge from the anterior distal part of the cell, the anterior flagellum bent over backwards is as long as the cell and beats stiffly. The acronematic posterior flagellum is about 2.5 - 4 times cell length, beats actively in the ventral depression and usually lies in the depression. The cells usually move by skidding with the anterior flagellum beating with a stiff paddling motion. The cells consume bacteria. Commonly observed in anoxic conditions.
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Carpediemonas membranifera (Larsen and Patterson, 1990) Ekebom et al., 1996. Cells are elliptical or obovate and 3 to 6 microns long with a longitudinal ventral groove, which extends most of cell length. When squashed, the cell is pliable. Two flagella unequal in length emerge from the anterior distal part of the cell, the anterior flagellum bent over backwards is as long as the cell and beats stiffly. The acronematic posterior flagellum is about 2.5 - 4 times cell length, beats actively in the ventral depression and usually lies in the depression. The cells usually move by skidding with the anterior flagellum beating with a stiff paddling motion. The cells consume bacteria.
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This tiny bean shaped flagellate has a ventral groove almost as long as the cell, from which two flagella emerge. One is longer than the cell and is pointed posteriorly and attached to the substrate, while the other flagellum is pointed anteriorly. The specimen was collected from sediment at Chappaquoit Marsh, Massachusetts, USA. Photo by Banoo Malik.
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The heterotrophic cells are displayed in three profiles that show an anterior and posterior flagellum each emerging from the anterior end of the ventral feeding groove. The cells here appear to contain a bacterium in a food vacuole. The specimens were collected on coverslips from anoxic sediments from Eel Pond, Woods Hole, MA. Photo by Banoo Malik.
