Cyanobacteria in testate amoebae shell - pictures added

Ecki · Post by **Ecki** » Sat Dec 25, 2010 2:00 pm

40x EC Plan Neofluar Oil DIC

Francisco showed recently a moving testate amoebae shell which a Cyanobacteria colony had occupied: http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... hp?t=11740

This image peeks inside a Centropyxis aculeata shell showing the inhabitant. Unfortunately this one was not moving

Regards
Eckhard

Ecki · Post by **Ecki** » Sun Dec 26, 2010 10:53 am

40x EC Plan Neofluar Oil DIC - Crop

40x EC Plan Neofluar Oil DIC - Crop

The first image shows the Centropyxis shell with the Cyanobacteria lurking inside. The second image is a crop of the previously shown image. You can see the shape of the pseudostome, the opening of the shell, as well.

Mitch640 · Post by **Mitch640** » Sun Dec 26, 2010 2:42 pm

The images are very beautiful, colorful and informative. But I have to wonder what led that cyanobacteria, and Francisco's, to enter the shell in the first place. Was it pure chance, or did he smell food?

Ecki · Post by **Ecki** » Mon Dec 27, 2010 1:11 am

Mitch,

when a small cyanobacteria is getting into that shell, it has found a shelter that protects it from predators. It can grow undisturbed into a larger colony. The form of the shell makes the colony grow into a coil inside the shell.

As you can see in the pictures, the shell is translucent, so light can come inside for the cyanobacteria to grow.

Was it pure chance, or did he smell food?

The bacteria inside here, cyanobacteria or blue-green algae, does not eat anything. It lives of sunlight and anorganic nutrients that it finds in the water. It has gotten into the shell by pure chance.

Regards
Eckhard