portrait
Portrait of Metopus es, the types species of this sapropelic metopid genus of ciliates. The body is elongate with a bluntly rounded anterior twisted to the left. The posterior is narrow and truncate. The peristome slants obliquely across the ventral surface. There is a prominent adoral zone of membranelles on its left and several kineties of longer cilia along its right margin. The cytostome is at the right posterior end of the peristome. The somatic kineties are longitudinal and uniform. An orange-brown aggregate of refractile granules, typical of metopids, is present in the anterior region. The contractile vacuole is terminal posteriorly. There is an anterior ellipsoid macronucleus. From sapropelic stagnant fresh water pond near Boise, Idaho. DIC optics. This image was taken by William Bourland. He now uses a Zeiss Axioskop 2 with Spot Insight and Spot Flex CCD cameras (Diagnostic Instruments). Image copyright: William Bourland, image used under license to MBL (micro*scope).
download as pdf file
 download large file
 classification page
 comment image
|
Metopus es
From the collection
Freshwater and Terrestrial Microbes of Idaho (USA) and Elsewhere
| Description of Metopus es: Members of this genus of metopid ciliates are 50 to 300 microns long. The cell is not flattened, but is asymetrical as the anterior region is twisted to the left. The oral apeture is located equatorially or subequatorially. An adoral zone of membranelles arises form the oral aperture and runs obliquely towards the left anterior end of the cell, following under the twisted anterior end. The cell is covered with somatic kineties; those on the ventral surface extend from the posterior to the adoral zone of membranelles; those on the dorsal surface exted to the anterior end and over the top of the spiraled anterior end. There is a series of closely aligned kineties, to the right and above the adoral zone of membranelles, that produce an anterior mane of cilia. A single ovoid macronucleus is typically situated in the middle of the cell. A single large contractile vacuole occurs in the posterior of the cell. Some species may be coloured or have prominent bacterial symbionts. Common, found in benthic, freshwater, marine; soil, anoxic and saprobic sites. |
|
