ciliate ID help

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frank_prince_iles
Posts: 12
Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2022 11:59 am

ciliate ID help

#1 Post by frank_prince_iles » Tue Aug 16, 2022 2:41 pm

Has anybody any idea what ciliate this is? It is about the same size as Paramecium and quite flexible and rotates as it swims. It was found in the sediments of a freshwater pond. It's main feature is a distinct vacuole at the anterior end (as seen in images). It's mouth is not very prominent but I think is visible in one images.

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Sequence 01.00_04_47_22.Still006.jpg
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frank_prince_iles
Posts: 12
Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2022 11:59 am

Re: ciliate ID help

#2 Post by frank_prince_iles » Tue Aug 16, 2022 3:00 pm

Sorry - that should be posterior end

Bruce Taylor
Posts: 986
Joined: Fri Sep 04, 2015 11:34 am

Re: ciliate ID help

#3 Post by Bruce Taylor » Tue Aug 16, 2022 8:38 pm

It has a posterior vacuole, a somewhat truncate anterior, a mouth that is almost certainly apical, and a very long macronucleus (clearly visibile in the second image). So, probably a species of Prorodon, e.g. P. niveus, P. emmae, P. ellipticus. In older texts, the genus appears as Pseudoprorodon, because of a taxonomic mixup in the mid 20th century (and the species assigned to Prorodon in older sources are now mostly in Holophrya).

frank_prince_iles
Posts: 12
Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2022 11:59 am

Re: ciliate ID help

#4 Post by frank_prince_iles » Wed Aug 17, 2022 8:26 am

Hi Bruce,

Thanks for that. It sometimes seems overwhelming trying to identify these critters. Once someone points you in the right direction you can start to identify the main things to look for. I am currently using D.J. Patterson's 'Free-Living Freshwater Protozoa' for identification - which is very good. However, sometimes the key just seems to end at a dead end. Any advice from members about other sources for reference would be appreciated.

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