Rhynchobodo simius Patterson and Simpson 1996

Lee, Won Je, 2015, Small Free-Living Heterotrophic Flagellates from Marine Sediments of Gippsland Basin, South-Eastern Australia, Acta Protozoologica 54 (1), pp. 53-76 : 58-60

Rhynchobodo simius Patterson and Simpson 1996 ( Figs 2l–o )

Observation: Cells are fusiform and 10 to 16 µm long with a slightly acute or broad rostrum containing a tubular ingestion apparatus openning at the tip of the cell. Two flagella of unequal length: the anterior flagellum is about 2 times the cell length and the posterior one is 2.5 to 3 times the cell length. Both flagella are thickened and insert in conspicuous pocket at the base of the rostrum. There is a spiral groove from the flagellar pocket to near the posterior end of the cell. The cells swim with undulating rotation.

Remarks: Rhynchobodo simius has been previously reported from hypersaline sites in the Shark Bay area ( Australia) by Patterson and Simpson (1996) and Al-Qassab et al. (2002) with lengths of 9–16 µm. Most Rhynchobodo are more or less metabolic whereas R. simius is inflexible ( Patterson and Simpson 1996). Rhynchobodo simius can be distinguished from R. taeniata (Skuja 1956) Vørs 1992 which is smaller (13–20 µm) and because R. taeniata has a more conspicuous spiral groove. This species resembles Rhynchobodo conoidea (Skuja 1956) Bernard et al. 2000 , R. agilis Laekey 1940 , Rhynchobodo vulgaris ( Skuja 1948) Bernard et al. 2000 and R. armata Brugerolle 1985 in cell shape and length, and in having an acute anterior end. Further studies are needed to distinguish these species.

Figures

Fig. 2. a – Chilomastix cuspidata, showing general appearance of cell; b – Goniomonas amphinema, showing general appearance of cell; c – G. pacifica, note two flagella diverging; d – Percolomonas similis, note ventral groove; e – Bodo platyrhynchus; f – Neobodo curvifilus; g – N. saliens; h–i – Hemistasia phaeocysticola, note a papillum (arrow); j – Bordnamonas tropicana, showing general appearance and mouth (arrow); k – Rhynchomonas nasuta; l–o – Rhynchobodo simius; l – tubular ingestion organelle (arrow); m, o – showing groove; n – general appearance of cell; p–q – Rhynchopus amitus; r–s – Spironema multiciliatum; t – Amastigomonas debruynei, general appearance of cell; u – Amastigomonas mutabilis, note anterior flagellum projecting from sleeve and recurrent flagellum; v – Apusomonas sp.; w – Psammosa unguis nov. comb., general appearance of cell; x–y – Mantamonas plastica; x – note anterior flagellum (arrow) and y – ventral depression.All micrographs are DIC images. Scale bar: 5 µm for all figures.