Is this Didinium?

Images made through a microscope. All subject types.

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nanometer
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Location: Tucson, AZ

Is this Didinium?

Post by nanometer »

I've been trying to figure out what this is. Here are two [crappy] pics (40x phase) of the same body. It's about the right size for Didinium (~100um), but the body shape doesn't fit. Also, Didinium has the second row of cilia mid body where this is clearly on the posterior.

Thanks for any help! Steve

Image

Image

Bruce Taylor
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Location: Wakefield, Quebec / Ottawa, Ontario
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Post by Bruce Taylor »

No, it's a peritrich ciliate in its "swarmer" phase, with a posterior ciliary wreath. This ring of cilia is only present when the cell is traveling from place to place. In its feeding phase, the ciliate will be attached to the substrate by a stalk, joined to the narrow end of the cell (the posterior). The ring of cilia at the back end of the cell will disappear, and a mouth will open up at the front.

From the images here, we can't identify genus or even family...could be an epistylid, could be a vorticellid, etc.
It Came from the Pond (Blog): http://www.itcamefromthepond.com/

nanometer
Posts: 324
Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2016 10:14 pm
Location: Tucson, AZ

Post by nanometer »

Thanks Bruce. I had no idea about the life cycle that you have described. Time to read about it!

Bruce Taylor
Posts: 827
Joined: Thu Jun 23, 2011 4:49 pm
Location: Wakefield, Quebec / Ottawa, Ontario
Contact:

Post by Bruce Taylor »

nanometer wrote:Thanks Bruce. I had no idea about the life cycle that you have described. Time to read about it!
A search on the term "telotroch" will produce results. :) Most fully-formed telotrochs are somewhat more cylindrical in shape, but this individual might have been caught in transition.
It Came from the Pond (Blog): http://www.itcamefromthepond.com/

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