Microworld

world of amoeboid organisms

Microcometes spec. - Ferry Siemensma
Microcometes spec.

Microcometes spec.

Diagnosis: Cell very small, surrounded by dark traces what seems to be a kind of a shell, because filopodia are emitted through tubular like projections; the “shell” is hyaline and colorless to dark grey; outline polygonal, irregular, with 5-6 apertures. Pseudopodia very thin, granular. No flagella observed. Nucleus globular with a central nucleolus. One contractile vacuole.

Dimensions: cell about 4 µm; test 7-12 µm.

Ecology: freshwater; Laegieskamp and Groeneveld.

Remarks: This species, or at least these specimens, are remarkable by their weird shell or print which surrounds the cell. It resembles a prehistoric drawing of a hand. It is difficult to determine light microscopically what the precise structure is of this “shell”. I have seen several specimens in wet-mount-chambers, but couldn’t observe them long enough. They only left traces…

Microcometes spec. - Ferry Siemensma
Microcometes spec., empty spot, with traces of five apertures
Microcometes spec. - Ferry Siemensma
Microcometes spec. - Ferry Siemensma
Two photomicrographs of the same shell: the right hand photomicrograph shows a number of fine spines
Ferry Siemensma, created March 2, 2019; last modified January 31, 2021
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