Genus: Flask-shaped; elongate, flattened; anterior region neck-like; cilia only on right side;
without trichocyst-borders; cytostome with trichocysts; two macronuclei (Kudo, 1966).
Species: Cell body 100 μm long (Kahl, 1930). |
50 μm
100 μm
150 μm; x 400 :
31 μm
63 μm
94 μm; x 640
* Litonotus fasciola (Ehrenberg, 1838) Wrzesnioski, 1870 (Syn. Amphileptus fasciola Ehrenberg, 1838; Litonotus duplostriatus (Maupas, 1883) Kahl, 1931: Cell body elongate, lateralluy flattened, 100 μm long; a distinctive curving neck region present, with a slit-like oral area which occupies most of its length; posterior rounded with one or more contractile vacuoles; two spherical macronuclei (Carey, 1992).
Litonotus lamella (Ehrenberg, 1838) Schewiakoff, 1896 (Syn. L. binucleatus (Kahl, 1933) Hartwig, 1973; L. obtusus (Maupas, 1888) Kahl, 1930): Cell body broad, 200 μm long; anterior curved; posterior tending towards a point; many trichocysts in the buccal region; a single contractile vacuole; two spherical macronuclei (Carey, 1992).
L. fusidens (Kahl, 1926): Cell body pear shaped, 100 μm long; no true neck region, posterior rounded; large trichocysts in the oral area; two macronuclei with intercalated micronucleus; a contractile vacuole posteior (Carey, 1992).