Portrait

Опис:

Portrait ((dorsal surface) of the colorless benthic marine protist, Stephanopogon apogon (Borror, 1965). The taxonomic position of Stephanopogon is uncertain. Once thought to be a ciliate, electron microscopic studies of S. apogon revealed absence of ciliate characteristics such as pellicular alveoli, infraciliature (e.g. kinetodesmal fibrils, postciliary microtubules and transverse microtubules) and nuclear dualism. S. apogon is elongate and moderately dorsoventrally flattened. The cell is curved slightly to the right. The posterior is round and the anterior end obliquely truncate. There are approximately 6-8 longitudinal files of smooth flagellae limited to the ventral surface. The anterior apical cytostome is slit-like and bordered by a slightly raised lip (visible here). There are 2-16 homokaryotic nuclei (not seen here).A contractile vacuole is absent. Division occurs while encysted (palintomy). Collected from a commercial saltwater aquarium in Boise, Idaho September 2004. DIC.