portrait

Description:

Acanthocystis turfacea (a-can-tho-sis-tis tur- fats-ee-a), a centrohelid heliozoon. Body coated with a layer of flattened siliceous scales and spine scales. Spine scales are of two lengths, and forked at their apex. The cytoplasm of this species contains often symbiotic algae. The body of this specimen measures 88 microns in diameter. This specimen was collected in a pond near Konstanz, Germany. Differential interference contrast.