General

Aug
08

Teuthophrys trisulca trisulca

Posted by sonntag

Teuthophrys trisulca trisulca lives in a mutualistic relationship with green algal symbionts. This relatively large – up to 0.3 mm – ciliate catches small multicellular organisms (e.g., rotifers) as food. Teuthophrys trisulca trisulca can be found in lake plankton.

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Nov
04

Epistylis anastatica

Posted by sonntag

Epistylis anastatica is a peritrich ciliate that is attached with a stalk to animals. Here, the ciliates stick to the backside of a planktonic copepod (see also pictures below for more details). The ciliates can form large colonies including many individuals. This duet was found in lake Mondsee (Austria).    

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Jan
29

Coleps hirtus hirtus

Posted by sonntag

Coleps hirtus is a heterotrophic ciliate species that feeds directly on other microbes including bacteria and other protists. To reveal the characteristic pretzel-shaped ‘windows’ of the calcified armor, this individual found in Lake Mondsee (Austria) was strongly squeezed.

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Nov
24

Wasserleben

Posted by sonntag

Ein Projekt für über 400 Kinder und Jugendliche aus neun vorpädagogischen und pädagogischen Einrichtungen. Gefördert im Programm ‘Talente regional der Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft FFG’, Juli 2015 – Dezember  2016, PI S. Wanzenböck, M. Ellmauer

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Apr
27

Rhabdoaskenasia minima

Posted by sonntag

Rhabdoaskenasia minima is a small (30 x 20 µm) planktonic ciliate commonly found in lakes. This ciliate contains three characteristic ciliary girdles in the anterior half of the cell: one having relatively short cilia, another one with longer cilia that are typically bent posterior and a third girdle with long bristles that faciliate floating in […]

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Apr
27

Coleps nolandi

Posted by sonntag

Coleps nolandi is a ciliate covered by calcified armored plates. The main plates bear species-specific ‘windows’ which have a reniform shape in C. nolandi (see picture below). The ciliate is found in benthic and pelagic freshwater habitats and feeds on algae, other ciliates and organic debris.

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Nov
05

Stentor amethystinus

Posted by sonntag

Stentor amethystinus is a trumpet-shaped ciliate with a violet to purple appearance.  The ciliate is almost 1 mm long and common in lake and pond plankton. Inside the ciliate unicellular algae (the globular green cells) live in symbiosis with S. amethystinus. Stentor is the Unicellular Eukaryote of the Year 2014. This population was sampled by Samuel […]

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