Histiobalantium natans

[Ecki]

Last weekend I found this beautiful cilate in a detritus sample of a nearby ditch. Histiobalantium natans has long cilia, interspersed with longer stiff bristles. All H. natans that I found had zoochlorella as food reserve. They showed a healthy green color when I found them - the absence of light has made them brownish.

Histiobalantium natans has a very interesting oral apparatus (image 2) but I was unable to find out more details. The literature on Histiobalantium natans is very sparse.


40x, DIC, arrows = bristles


40x, DIC

I found Histiobalantium natans ist not easy to photograph as it doesn't like much light. Whenever I turned the light up to prepare for a photo they were immediately gone. Therefore I settled for very little light and 1/8th sec.

Regards
Ecki

[Jacek]

An interesting specimen and beautiful pictures

[Bruce Taylor]

Lovely pictures!

Histiobalantium natans has a very interesting oral apparatus (image 2) but I was unable to find out more details. The literature on Histiobalantium natans is very sparse.

If you haven't seen it already, have a look at "Morphological and molecular characterization of Histiobalantiumnatans viridisKahl, 1931 (Ciliophora, Scuticociliatia)," Foissner et al, 2009. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejop.2008.11.003



They redescribe the species, and supply some bibliographical info.

[Ecki]

Bruce,

thanks for the literature reference. I will get it from the university library tomorrow.

The only literature that I had was Kahl. "The Illustrated Guide ..." has only one paragraph that is useless. I am curious what Foissner writes.

regards
Ecki

[Ecki]

Here is a crop of another Histiobalantium natans.



Regards
Ecki

[RogelioMoreno]

Nice pictures!

Rogelio