Probably Paradileptus

carlos.uruguay · Post by **carlos.uruguay** » Mon Feb 17, 2014 12:51 pm

This ciliate about 100um long, we have found a small freshwater lake (Lago del Parque Rodo - Montevideo - Uruguay).
It's body is cone-shaped and has a large "horn" surrounded by thick cirrus.
We assume that this is Paradileptus.
At the end of the video we see how to empty a large vacuole containing waste substances.
Polarized oblique light
40X objective
Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78ErMP4KrLw
Regards.
carlos

RogelioMoreno · Post by **RogelioMoreno** » Mon Feb 17, 2014 6:50 pm

Carlos,

Nice video and very interesting specimen.

Rogelio

Jean-marc · Post by **Jean-marc** » Tue Feb 18, 2014 1:42 am

Hi Carlos,

Indeed, very funny ciliate,
Good video,

JM

fpelectronica · Post by **fpelectronica** » Tue Feb 18, 2014 2:14 am

Carlos, superb video and curious ciliated
Francisco

carlos.uruguay · Post by **carlos.uruguay** » Wed Feb 19, 2014 7:56 am

Thank you for your comments

Protos · Post by **Protos** » Wed Feb 19, 2014 8:13 am

That's a very cool ciliate !
what do you mean by polarized oblique light ?

Phil

carlos.uruguay · Post by **carlos.uruguay** » Wed Feb 19, 2014 8:36 am

Protos wrote:That's a very cool ciliate !
what do you mean by polarized oblique light ?
Phil

Hi Phill.
I'm not fully crossed the analyzer and polarizer
so there is good light
Then I put a coin on the polarizer
and I move it until the desired effect is achieved
I Use phase objectives they give best results
The procedure is similar to this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMKrIagYd-c
but with a crystal polarizador and one analyzed
carlos

Bruce Taylor · Post by **Bruce Taylor** » Sun Feb 23, 2014 8:51 am

Hi Carlos, sorry for the slow reply to the email link you sent. I have no personal experience with Paradileptus, but your creature does not strike me as a dileptid. It seems to have adoral membranelles, which would exclude that group. Also, at 100 µm, it would be a pretty small Paradileptus elaphantinus, the only species accepted by Vdacny and Foissner in their revision of the dileptids. (However, size tends to be a weak diagnostic criterion, unless you have numerous specimens to examine).

It might be a heterotrich of some kind. Fabrea salina features a spiral AZM, and at first I thought this might be a very small, scrawny Fabrea. But I don't see it well enough to rule out the spirotrichs (the other group that has adoral membranelles).

It seems to be in poor health, which might be adding to the difficulty.

Anyhow, I'm stumped, for the moment. I hope you find more of them, so we can figure this out.

carlos.uruguay · Post by **carlos.uruguay** » Sun Feb 23, 2014 10:10 am

Thank you very much Bruce.
I already modified the text in the video.
(It is a fresh water ciliated)