Cercozoans

Sainouron (sigh-noo-ron) is a small gliding flagellate from soils. Body elliptical, one trailing flagellum, rarely with an anterior flagellum. The flagellum can here be seen to be acronematic (the far end is thinner). Phase contrast.

Hellkesimastix (hell-keys-ee-ma-stix) a small flagellate, originally reported from soils. With one trailing flagellum and one other short flagellum. Probably,y a cercomonad. Phase contrast micrograph.

Helkesimastix faecicola Woodcock and Lapage, 1915. Cells ovoid or drawn out, 5-10 microns long and about two-thirds as wide as long. A single flagellum, 2-3 times cell length, inserts at or slightly below the cell apex, is attached along the length of the body and also adheres to the substratum as cells glided. The nucleus is central, and there is a single contractile vacuole towards the posterior. Cells are slightly flexible and the cytoplasm is sometimes drawn out along the trailing flagellum.

Abollifer prolabens Voers, 1992. The cell is about 8-12 x 10-20 microns It is ovoid-oval and dorso-ventrally flattened with a deep anterior or depression into which the flagellum inserts. The sides of this depression are swollen. The cell surface is rigid and granulated, the cell appears opaque and probably has a pellicle. The cell moves by gliding, but it may detach from the substrate and jerk through the water with an irregular sinusoidal flagellar beat, a second shorter trailing flagellum is sometimes present.

Spongomonas (spong-owe-moan-ass), is a solitary or colonial spongomonad flagellate, in which the cells are located within a more or less globular matrix formed from adhering small globules of mucilage. Many cells were dislodged while this sample was being prepared. Phase contrast.

Spongomonas (spong-owe-moan-ass), is a solitary or colonial spongomonad flagellate, in which the cells are located within a more or less globular matrix formed from adhering small globules of mucilage. In this case the colony has formed at the end of some extraneous fibre. Phase contrast.

Spongomonas (spong-owe-moan-ass), is a solitary or colonial spongomonad flagellate, in which the cells are located within a more or less globular matrix formed from adhering small globules of mucilage. This is an image of a cluster of cells picked from the surface of the pond. Phase contrast.

Spongomonas (spong-owe-moan-ass), is a solitary or colonial spongomonad flagellate, in which the cells are located within a more or less globular matrix formed from adhering small globules of mucilage. This is an image of a thin cluster of cells. Phase contrast.

Spongomonas (spong-owe-moan-ass), is a solitary or colonial spongomonad flagellate, in which the cells are located within a more or less globular matrix formed from adhering small globules of mucilage. Detail of single cell showing the two flagella Phase contrast.

Spoongomonas, detail of several cells from within a globular colony. Each cell is more or less spherical and gives rise to two long flagella that are slightly different in length. The matrix of the colony is made up up of brown globular mucoid balls. From Lake Donghu, China. Differential interference contrast micrograph.

Spongomonas - a heterotrophic flagellate. The cells are spherical and give rise to two flagella that are slightly different in length. The cells form colonies, being embedded in a common mucous matrix that is made up of small globules of orange or brown mucus. This species forms sausage-shaped colonies that are up to a millimetre in length. Bright field illumination.

Spongomonas - a heterotrophic flagellate. The cells are spherical and give rise to two flagella that are slightly different in length. The cells form colonies, being embedded in a common mucous matrix that is made up of small globules of orange or brown mucus. This species forms sausage-shaped colonies that are up to a millimetre in length. Phase contrast micrograph.

Spongomonas - a heterotrophic flagellate. The cells are spherical and give rise to two flagella that are slightly different in length. The cells form colonies, being embedded in a common mucous matrix that is made up of small globules of orange or brown mucus. This species forms sausage-shaped colonies that are up to a millimetre in length. Phase contrast micrograph.

Spongomonas - a heterotrophic flagellate. The cells are spherical and give rise to two flagella that are slightly different in length. The cells form colonies, being embedded in a common mucous matrix that is made up of small globules of orange or brown mucus. This species forms sausage-shaped colonies that are up to a millimetre in length. Phase contrast micrograph.

Portrait of Spongomonas intestinum colony. Colonies are composed of small spherical colorless individual flagellates each with two equal flagella embedded in a serpiginous gelatinous matrix. Flagella are about 3 times cell length. Some species form spherical colonies. Gelatinous matrix may be brownish-green as seen here or nearly colorless. From freshwater pond near Boise, Idaho. Brightfield.

Detail of Spongomonas colony showing individual cells embedded in gelatinous matrix. Each cell has two equal flagella about three times the cell length. From fresh water pond near Boise, Idaho. Oblique illumination.

Low power image of a colony - thousands of cells in a common gelatinous matrix makes this branching spongy colony. Dark ground illumination.

Detail of a small section of a colony showing the numerous individual cells within the mucus matrix. Phase contrast optics.

Protaspis (pro-tass-piss) A very common but little studied genus of gliding flagellates, two flagella inserted one in front of the other in a shallow ventral depression near the front of the cell. One flagellum trails behind the cell, one sweeps in front of the cell. There are caps (dictyosomes?) over the nucleus and these can be seen as two lines leading away from the site of flagellar insertion. Protaspis can produce pseudopodia and may eat diatoms. This individual has starchy inclusions. Phase contrast.

Protaspis (pro-tass-piss) A very common but little studied genus of gliding flagellates, two flagella inserted one in front of the other in a shallow ventral depression near the front of the cell. One flagellum trails behind the cell, one sweeps in front of the cell. There are caps (dictyosomes?) over the nucleus and these can be seen as two lines leading away from the site of flagellar insertion. Protaspis can produce pseudopodia and may eat diatoms. This individual has starchy inclusions. Phase contrast.

Protaspis (pro-tass-piss) A very common but little studied genus of gliding flagellates, two flagella inserted one in front of the other in a shallow ventral depression near the front of the cell. One flagellum trails behind the cell, one sweeps in front of the cell. Protaspis can produce pseudopodia and may eat diatoms. This individual has starchy inclusions. Phase contrast.

Protaspis (pro-tass-piss) is a medium-sized heterotrophic flagellate. Two flagella emerge close to each other from a point behind the apex of the cell and on the ventral side. The anterior flagellum is typically shorter than the posterior flagellum. The ventral side may give rise to pseudopodia which can enclose food - such as diatoms. Phase contrast microscopy.

Protaspis (pro-tass-piss) is a medium-sized heterotrophic flagellate. Two flagella emerge close to each other from a point behind the apex of the cell and on the ventral side. The anterior flagellum is typically shorter than the posterior flagellum. The ventral side may give rise to pseudopodia which can enclose food - such as diatoms. In this image, many cells have fused into a syncitium. Phase contrast microscopy.