Is this a nassula?

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D0c
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Joined: Mon Nov 30, 2020 9:13 pm
Location: England

Is this a nassula?

#1 Post by D0c » Sat Apr 24, 2021 2:40 pm

Need a little help on this one please.

It was pretty large about 180µm cannot tell you where it was found as it's inside my specimen tank and it could be anywhere. It reminds me of a nassula omata I've seen them before but they were a lot more purple in colour then this one. I watched it for about 10 minutes and it didn't change shape.

Video 1 (150X) - https://www.flickr.com/photos/154534235 ... datetaken/
Video 2 (300X) - https://www.flickr.com/photos/154534235 ... datetaken/
Leitz SM-Lux

Bruce Taylor
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Re: Is this a nassula?

#2 Post by Bruce Taylor » Sat Apr 24, 2021 6:01 pm

Nice work capturing this guy. :) This is Ophryoglena. The mouth, roughly shaped like a number 6, is briefly visible in the second video. The dark cytoplasm is typical.

Nassula would have a cyrtos (cytopharngeal basket), which we don't see here.

ScienceMatters
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Joined: Wed Dec 30, 2020 1:46 am

Re: Is this a nassula?

#3 Post by ScienceMatters » Sat Apr 24, 2021 7:13 pm

Bruce Taylor, you are such a great resource for this group! Thanks for being on here.

D0c
Posts: 267
Joined: Mon Nov 30, 2020 9:13 pm
Location: England

Re: Is this a nassula?

#4 Post by D0c » Sun Apr 25, 2021 6:49 am

If it wasn't for Bruce I wouldn't have learnt as much as I have, as you say such an asset to this forum.

I'm so glad I found a Ophryoglena, what a great critter, I've scrutinized the second video and i can see the mouth at 0.44 seconds so I think this is what you mean.
Leitz SM-Lux

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

Re: Is this a nassula?

#5 Post by Bruce Taylor » Sun Apr 25, 2021 11:34 am

Thanks, guys! I do enjoy looking at ciliates. Trying to figure out what they are is often a relaxing challenge...like solving a crossword puzzle. And when something unusual comes up, it's an opportunity for me to learn something new.

There's a nice profile view of the mouth, about 44 seconds in (1:15 or so, on the countdown clock). At around 0:28 on the "countdown" clock we catch a glimpse of the mouth "head on". Ophryoglena is constantly rotating, so the best way to see the mouth is to wait until it appears in profile at the edge of the cell (as a sort of dimple on the outer membrane) and try to keep it in view as it turns toward the camera. The profile view is visible several times in both videos, but I didn't see the semi-circular shape until the home stretch of the second one (and then very fleetingly). Anyway, the dark, globule-filled cytoplasm is a strong clue pointing to Ophryoglena (a tissue-eating ciliate that becomes quite dark and round when it has fed).

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