portrait

Description:

Portrait of Ciliophrys infusionum (Cienkowski,1876), one of the colourless pedinellid flagellates (also referred to as a helioflagellates). When at rest on the substrate, tentacles (axopodia supported by one triplet of microtubules) with fine granules are distributed over the entire cell 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 a commercial marine aquarium in Boise, Idaho. DIC.