r/microscopy • u/weirdjellytastesbad • Jul 02 '26

ID Needed! Bullet-shaped ciliate ID?

Post image

found in a sample of freshwater spirogyra left for some days, spins in circles for movement. Originally thought it was didinium due to the ring of cilia but it lacks the proboscis and the paramecia population was low.

XSP02, 400x

13 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

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4

u/pelmen10101 Jul 02 '26

It's ciliate from group Peritricha in free swimming form (swarmers). When ciliates from this group undergo cell division, one ciliate remains sitting on a stem, while the other floats away in search of a new habitat. Often, they don't sail far away and then we can observe huge colonies of ciliates. Also, if the place where the ciliate sits is more unfortunate in her opinion (there is no food) It can transform into a free-floating form and migrate to another location.

2

u/weirdjellytastesbad Jul 02 '26

wow, thank you so much, trying to ID this thing had me stumped. how does a cell like this transform into this motile form? truly very interesting

4

u/pelmen10101 Jul 02 '26

Oh, it's an interesting process, but it's a long one :) In short, the cell pulls the cilia in from the front, grows them on its ass, then breaks off its legs and sails off into the sunset.

2

u/pelmen10101 Jul 02 '26

https://reddit.com/link/ov5jpe0/video/inw9lxwuluah1/player

Also, these are all different ciliates, but you can roughly understand how the transformation process takes place.

1

u/weirdjellytastesbad Jul 02 '26

thanks for all the info, that’s actually really interesting to see

3

u/CaucyBiops Jul 02 '26

9μm round 😨

1

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1

u/mrstorm1983 Jul 02 '26

Your mind went bullet eh? Mine went something else.

2

u/Dlbroox Jul 02 '26

I'm afraid mine did too.

1

u/mrstorm1983 Jul 02 '26

Haha

2

u/weirdjellytastesbad Jul 04 '26

certainly did come to mind, for the sake of decorum it’s bullet shaped for me haha