Bodo platyrhynchus Larsen and Patterson 1990

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 : 57

Bodo platyrhynchus Larsen and Patterson 1990 ( Fig. 2e )

Observation: Cells are 5 to 9 µm long, dorso-ventrally flattened and slightly flexible. The anterior margin of the cell is flattened. Cell outline is ovoid and two flagella of unequal length insert subapically. The anterior flagellum beats stiffly from side to side and the posterior flagellum is about twice the cell length, acronematic and trails. The cells glide slowly with a waggling movement, but may more rarely swim with a slow rotating movement.

Remarks: This species has been found at marine sites in Australia, Brazil, Hawaii and Korea with lengths of 3.5–11 µm ( Larsen and Patterson 1990; Lee and Patterson 2000; Al-Qassab et al. 2002; Lee 2002b, 2006b). Generally, the observations presented here are in good agreement with the descriptions of previous observers. Bodo platyrhynchus can be easily distinguished from Neobodo designis by its flattened body and because it usually glides with a waggling behaviour. The acronematic trailing flagellum is suggestive that this taxon is a kinetoplastid, but a kinetoplast has not been confirmed. It has been distinguished from species of Cercomonas which are more flexible and strands of cytoplasm may be drawn out from the posterior end of the cell.

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.