What Is This Protist?

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linuxusr
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Joined: Sun Jun 24, 2018 9:00 pm
Location: Dominican Republic

What Is This Protist?

#1 Post by linuxusr » Sun Jun 20, 2021 3:44 pm

From tree bark infusion:

--transparent under BF; viewed hundreds on three drops on a depression slide
--ovoid shaped with large asymmetrically located nucleus
--no flagella; motility by twisting/spinning motion; very fast (10x)
--filled with discrete particles that I cannot resolve

Not set up for photography at this time. If someone can provide a probable image, I can identify it yay or nay.
Nikon AlphaPhot 2 < Zeiss Primostar 3, Full Köhler; Axiocam 208 Color < UHD LG
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BramHuntingNematodes
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Re: What Is This Protist?

#2 Post by BramHuntingNematodes » Mon Jun 21, 2021 4:00 am

Seems like that could describe a lot of organisms
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linuxusr
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Location: Dominican Republic

Re: What Is This Protist?

#3 Post by linuxusr » Wed Jun 23, 2021 12:05 pm

BramHuntingNematodes wrote:
Mon Jun 21, 2021 4:00 am
Seems like that could describe a lot of organisms
I wasn't thinking. I had at my disposal how to know the protozoa, Second Edition, 1979, Jahn, Bovee, Jahn. It is published by William C. Brown and it is part of the Pictured Key Nature Series.

When I first looked at the key, namely, the entire book except for the introduction, I was bewildered. Having read further, I realized that the key is binary and that you begin with "Key to the Phyla of the Subkingdom Protozoa" on p. 46. In the case of my unknown organism, I began with 1a or 1b. I chose 1b "Without cilia or sucking tentacles." That defaulted to 2. From 2a and 2b I chose 2b "Without obvious locomotor structures." That defaulted to 4, Phylum Sporozoa, Locomotion by body flexions, usually producing spores; all parasitic." [my bold]

That led me to the middle of the book, p. 171, Phylum Sporozoa. So the beginning of the key leads you to the phylum. This key began with identification of subphyla. Here I hit a dead end and suspect that my choice of Sporozoa is incorrect, so now I need to work back. The pivot point was locomotion . . .

I bought this book, spiral-bound, about 25 years ago. You really need a spiral-bound book for a key as you'll be turning pages hundreds of times. I see the book available on Amazon in the U.S. for about $50.00.

There is also how to know the freshwater algae, Third Edition, G. W. Prescott, 1964, also spiral-bound. In the U.S. it's available on Amazon as a rental! You can also find bound versions, often used, for about ten dollars. Someone might want to grab one.
Nikon AlphaPhot 2 < Zeiss Primostar 3, Full Köhler; Axiocam 208 Color < UHD LG
Aller Anfang ist schwer.

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