Two ciliates: big and small
A small ciliate with cirri at the front and the rear is foraging among particles. Then a giant ciliate about four times larger appears, but it soon turns and swims away.
Commentary by Prof. Yuji Tsukii, Hosei University
The smaller organism is Balladyna, and the larger one is Remanella.
http://protist.i.hosei.ac.jp/PDB/Im.....
http://protist.i.hosei.ac.jp/PDB/Im.....
Sampling Date : 18 October 2009
Sampling Site : Hirose River A Google Map
Two similar ciliates
Two similarly-shaped ciliates are moving around a particle. The larger one is slim and over 500 microns long, whereas the shorter one is thick and just under 500 microns, and it moves more slowly. Several organisms that were caught as prey can be observed inside both organisms.
Commentary by Prof. Yuji Tsukii, Hosei University
The longer of these two ciliates may belong to genus Remanella, and the shorter one may belong to genus Loxodes. However both organisms rarely co-exist in the same environment.
Therefore it is also possible that the smaller organism is another Remanella cell that has shrunk enough to appear like Loxodes.
http://protist.i.hosei.ac.jp/PDB/Im.....
http://protist.i.hosei.ac.jp/PDB/Im.....
Sampling Date : 27 May 2009
Sampling Site : Hirose River A Google Map
Flagellates and ciliates gathering around a food source
Various sizes of flagellates and ciliates are swimming around, and they sometimes enter aggregates containing a variety of foods. One of the large ciliates is 400 microns in diameter, dark brown and oval shaped. The side-view of the organism shows it is slender, slightly narrow at both ends, and entirely covered with short cilia. Its motion has become slow because it is bloated with food from successful foraging.
Commentary by Prof. Yuji Tsukii, Hosei University
The leading character in this video is Frontonia acuminata. In contrast with other ciliates in the Frontonia group whose cytostome is located in the center of the “abdomen”, the cytostome of Frontonia acuminate is slightly shifted from the actual center. In this way the organism resembles Disematostoma, but from other criteria, it can be identified as Frontonia. For example, the top of Disematostoma is slightly pointed, but the top of this organism is round like others in the Frontonia group.
http://protist.i.hosei.ac.jp/PDB/Im.....
http://protist.i.hosei.ac.jp/PDB/Im.....
Two other ciliates is Holosticha polystylata and the one belonging to Remanella.
Sampling Date : 27 May 2009
Sampling Site : Hirose River A Google Map
Pleuronema sandwiched between algae and particles
Being sandwiched between a long algae and a particle, this Pleuronema ciliate cannot move freely. Only a transparent membranous structure on one side of the body is quivering. A few long cilia at its rear end are not moving. Ciliates of various sizes are swimming nearby, and sometimes bump into the Pleuronema.
Commentary by Prof. Yuji Tsukii, Hosei University
The velum - lined cilia arranged like curtain – indicates that the organism is probably Pleuronema. If so, it may be Pleuronema marinum with a large body size.
http://protist.i.hosei.ac.jp/PDB/Im.....
Histobalantium natans has a similar body size and also has a velum. However, the velum of Histobalantium natans features cilia of variety lengths, whereas the cilia of Pleuronema marinum are all the same length.
http://protist.i.hosei.ac.jp/PDB/Im.....
It is difficult to see whether the cilia in this video are of equal length, so this organism cannot be identified with certainty.
In the video we can also see Remanella and Holosticha organisms swimming around.
Sampling Date : 27 May 2009
Sampling Site : Hirose River A Google Map