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