Haptorida

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.

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.

Infraciliature of Pseudoholophrya terricola (BERGER, FOISSNER & ADAM,1984). Collected from a non-flooded Petri dish culture of soil from the margin of a eutrophic freshwater pond near Boise,Idaho (43° 40’ 57.20” N 116° 15’ 15.44” W; elev. 2865 ft.;pH 6.59). Stained by the silver carbonate technique (Foissner,W. Europ. J. Protistol.27:313-330;1991).Brightfield.

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.

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.

Trachelophyllum apiculatum (Perty, 1852) Claparède & Lachmann, 1859.Predatory ciliate with surface coated with a single type (probably Type I) of fine organic scales (i.e. lepidosomes). Identification is tentative since scanning electron microscopy is required for diagnostic lepidosome characterization. Collected from a freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho.DIC.

Lacrymaria coronata.

Lagostelle, Galicia, Espaa

Muelas del Pan, Castille and Leon, Spain

Mahide, Castille and Leon, Spain

Peniscola, Valencia, Spain

Ribadelago de Franco, Castilla y Len, Espaa

Canencia, Madrid, Spain

Trujillo, Extremadura, Spain

Ribadelago de Franco, Castille and Leon, Spain

Hervias, La Rioja, Spain

Melgar de Tera, Castille and Leon, Spain

San Martn de Castaeda, Castilla y Len, Espaa

Detail of the oral aperture and ventral proboscis of Monilicaryon monilatus Monilicaryon monilatus (Stokes, 1886) Jankowski, 1967. Similar in overall appearance to Dileptus anser. M. monilatus differs by having a shorter proboscis relative to the length of the body (1/3 to 1/4) and by lacking the row of obliquely oriented closely spaced kinetids on the ventral aspect of the left side of the proboscis (this feature requires demonstration by DIC or protargol staining). M. monilatus has two single files of kinetids extending from either side of the oral aperture anteriorly along the ventral aspect of the proboscis separated by a strip bearing extrusomes (See Foissner W., Berger H and Kohmann F. Taxonomische und ökologische Revision der Ciliaten des Saprobiensystems- Band IV: Gymnostomatea, Loxodes, Suctoria. Informationsberichte Bayer. Landesamtes für Wasserwirtschaft. 1/95:185-202, 1995). In this image the two parallel kineties along the right side of the extrusome strip are visible. Collected from a freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho. DIC.

Dorsal 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 (not seen well here) are unciliated except for the dorsal brush 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.

Infraciliature and unexploded cytoplasmic extrusomes of Pseudoholophrya terricola (BERGER, FOISSNER & ADAM,1984). The ellipsoid macronucleus is also seen.The small circular cytostome and its circumoral kinety are visible at the anterior apex.Collected from a non-flooded Petri dish culture of soil from the margin of a eutrophic freshwater pond near Boise,Idaho (43° 40’ 57.20” N 116° 15’ 15.44” W; elev. 2865 ft.;pH 6.59). Stained by the silver carbonate technique (Foissner,W. Europ. J. Protistol.27:313-330;1991).Brightfield.

Originally described by Ehrenberg under the name Trachelocerca viridis.

Ventral 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 wreath of longer cilia just posterior to the bare anterior snout. There are 22 widely spaced uniform longitudinal somatic kineties. The anterior halves of three dorsal kineties are made up of clavate (short club-shaped) cilia forming a dorsal brush (not seen in this view).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.