micro*scope - version 6.0

Description of Chitinozoa:
Test is hyaline or finely granular, transparent, yellow or sometimes pale-brownish, rarely dark brown. The most frequent form of the test is globular or broadly bell-shaped, on the one pole flattened or moderately concave. In this pole of the test is an aperture prolonged as a short tube. In optical section the test wall has a more or less wavy contour. The protoplast is pear-shaped, with its elongated pole toward the aperture. From this pole fine pseudopodia are extended. The protoplast does not fill the test completely. It is connected to the test in or near the oral tube. Only rarely were epipodia observed. The large vesicular nucleus, situated near the aboral end of the cell, ranged in diameter from 6-7 um. The cytoplasm contains a fair number of coarse, clear granules, but specimens without such granules were also observed. The single contractile vacuole is located in the oral region of the protoplast. Division takes place within the test. Two daughter cells were sometimes observed in a test. Details of division are not yet known. The pseudopodia are extremely thin, so that it is difficult to follow them along the whole length. They are extended in the form of a broad cone. Each pseudopodium has two or three small granules. The number of pseudopodia varies from 10-20 or more, and their length reaches 40-50 um. Only exceptionally do pseudopodia anastomose. Type locality; backwater of the River Danube. Measurements; Size of the tests: diameter of test 28-30 um, diameter of apertures 5.5-7.5 um, length of oral collarette 4-5.5 um.