Dysteria Huxley 1857

Portrait of the marine Phyllopharyngeid ciliate, Dysteria brasiliensis (Da Cunha, De Faria & Pinto, 1922). This is one of the largest species of this genus (100-130 um). The cell is elongate and dorsoventrally flattened. The dorsum is arched. The anterior end is truncate and curves dorsally. The posterior terminates in a sharp spinous process (seen here) not to be confused with the ventral posterior podite by which the cell attaches to the substrate (not seen in this image)The pellicle is rigid and colorless. The ciliature is reduced to the ventral surface with 3 longitudinal kineties on the right and 7-8 on the left. There are 2 frontoventral kineties. The cytostome is supported by two stout obliquely situated rods with anterior tooth-like projections. The cytoplasm contains food vacuoles brightly colored with green algae and purple sulfur bacteria. There are two contractile vacuoles. There is a central ellipsoid macronucleus. Collected from a commercial saltwater aquarium in Boise, Idaho. March 2004. DIC optics.

Portrait of the marine Phyllopharyngeid ciliate, Dysteria brasiliensis Da Cunha, De Faria & Pinto, 1922. This is one of the largest species of this genus (100-130 um). The cell is elongate and dorsoventrally flattened. The dorsum is arched. The anterior end is truncate and curves dorsally. The posterior terminates in a sharp spinous process (seen here) not to be confused with the ventral posterior podite by which the cell attaches to the substrate (not seen in this image)The pellicle is rigid and colorless. The ciliature is reduced to the ventral surface with 3 longitudinal kineties on the right and 7-8 on the left. There are 2 frontoventral kineties. The cytostome is supported by two stout obliquely situated rods with anterior tooth-like projections. The cytoplasm contains food vacuoles brightly colored with green algae and purple sulfur bacteria. There are two contractile vacuoles. There is a central ellipsoid macronucleus. Collected from a commercial saltwater aquarium in Boise, Idaho. March 2004. DIC.

Surface detail of the marine Phyllopharyngeid ciliate, Dysteria brasiliensis Da Cunha, De Faria & Pinto, 1922. This is one of the largest species of this genus (100-130 um).The posterior terminates in a sharp spinous process (slightly out of focus here) not to be confused with the ventral posterior podite by which the cell attaches to the substrate. The podite is angled anteriorly in this image (the the viewer's right).Collected from a commercial saltwater aquarium in Boise, Idaho. March 2004. DIC. 

Dysteria (dist-ear-ee-a) is a hypostome ciliate. Like other hypostomes it favours particular food such as algae. The cell on the right has eaten blue-green (bacterial) algae and red (purple) sulphur bacteria. They can pick up their food using a jaw system made of stout rods capped with teeth. The tip of one of these rods can be seen inside the cell at about 1 o clock from the centre of the cell. Cilia in this genus are restricted to a broad band running along the lateral margins of the cell. There is also a collection of cilia that form a podite - or attachment structure. Differential interference contrast.

Dysteria (dist-ear-ee-a) is a hypostome ciliate. Like other hypostomes it favours particular food such as algae. The cell on the right has eaten blue-green (bacterial) algae and red (purple) sulphur bacteria. They can pick up their food using a jaw system made of stout rods capped with teeth. Cilia in this genus are restricted to a broad band running along the lateral margins of the cell. There is also a collection of cilia that form a podite - or attachment structure. Differential interference contrast.

Dysteria (dist-ear-ee-a) is a hypostome ciliate. Like other hypostomes it favours particular food such as algae. The cell on the right has eaten blue-green (bacterial) algae and red (purple) sulphur bacteria. They can pick up their food using a jaw system made of stout rods capped with teeth. Cilia in this genus are restricted to a broad band running along the lateral margins of the cell. there is also a collection of cilia that form a podite - or attachment structure. Phase contrast.

Dysteria (dist-ear-ee-a) is a hypostome ciliate. Like other hypostomes it favours particular food such as algae. The cell on the right has eaten blue-green (bacterial) algae and red (purple) sulphur bacteria. They can pick up their food using a jaw system made of stout rods capped with teeth. Cilia in this genus are restricted to a broad band running along the lateral margins of the cell. there is also a collection of cilia that form a podite - or attachment structure. This species is distinctive because it contains numerous green symbiotic algae. Differential interference contrast.

This image shows that the ventral side of this ciliate only has cilia on the right side (the image shows the ventral side as if viewed from the ventral side). There is a small tuft of a few closely packed cilia at the posterior end. Phase contrast micrograph.