portrait

Description:

Portrait of Ciliophrys infusionum (Cienkowski,1876), one of the colourless pedinellid flagellates (also referred to as a helioflagellate). When at rest on the substrate tentacles(axopodia supported by one triplet of microtubules) of with fine granules are distributed over the entire surface and the single flagellum is held in a tight S configuration hardly moving. When swimming, tentacles withdraw and the cell surface appears smooth, the flagellum beating more rapidly in sine wave fashion. From standing freshwater near Boise, Idaho. Phase contrast.