At first, one larger and one smaller flagellate swim while connected, and then they separate and go their own ways. Several small organisms and particles are attached on the surface of the larger flagellate. In the same field, we can see a filamentous long bacterium and several kinds of diatoms.
Commentary by Prof. Yuji Tsukii, Hosei University Many flagellates have two flagella, one of which extends forward and the other backward. The flagellate in this video is flat and oval, and the shape of its hard body is fixed. It might be Anisonema, but the keel (sharp ridge) on its body surface may indicate Petalomonas in the Euglena group.
In a narrow space surrounded by particles, various microbes seem to be enjoying their lives. A flat leaf-shaped flagellate swims along, while a tiny amoeba without pseudopodia proceeds by pushing the front of its body forward as it contracts its rear end. A long filamentous algal colony and a variety of diatoms are all actively swimming around.
Commentary by Prof. Yuji Tsukii, Hosei University The organism that appears at the beginning and very end of this video may belong to a group related to Anisonema and Petalomonas, because it has a hard, flat body and a flagellum extending forward. It seems to be a rare species. However, we cannot be sure because the base of the forward flagellum is not clear, and we can’t confirm whether it has another flagellum at the posterior end.
The organism that appears during the middle part of this video may be Saccamoeba judging from its protoplasmic streaming and cell size. But it cannot be verified without examining the posterior end, which is not shown in this video.
