Spirotrichea: Heterotrichia: Heterotrichida
Blepharisma seculum(Isquith, 1965) Isquith et al., 1965
Genus: Elongate, ovoid; anterior apex often curves over the peristome; non contractile (Carey, 1992).
In front of cytostome a two-layered undulating membrane on right edge; contractile vacuole and
cytopyge terminal; rose-colored; many species (Kudo, 1966).
Species: Cell body 60-100 micro-m in length, 20-30 micro-m in width; slightly pink in color; thin and forms a tail when starved; dorsally curved, giviing the cell a sickled-shaped appearance; 10-14 somatic ciliary raws; AZM not reached anterior tip, but begins behind a slight beak; undulating membrane extends for 1/3 of the peristomal length, which is half the body length; macronucleus spherical, about 10 micro-m in diam.; 2-8 micronuclei (about 2 micro-m in diam.) located near the macronucleus; encystment observed; giantism and conjugation not observed (from Giese, 1973).
50 μm
