Astasia tortuosa

(A. C. Stokes) T. G Popova

Most likely ID: n.a.

 

Synonym: Menoidium tortuosa

 

Sampling location: Simmelried

 

Phylogenetic tree: Astasia tortuosa

 

Diagnosis: 

  • cell strongly elongated and flattened, sometimes C- or S-shaped, metabolic
  • cell narrows and tapers to posterior end into rounded tip
  • anterior end with neck-like tapering
  • length 74–95 µm, width 4.5–9 µm
  • mouth opening distinctly truncated transversally
  • one flagellum, about a third of body length
  • reservoir elongate oval
  • nucleus central, oval
  • paramylon grains uniform
  • periplast with fine striation
Astasia-tortuosa
Astasia tortuosa

I find Astasia tortuosa very often in the mud from Simmelried. The species differs from other species of the genus Astasia in its considerable length of almost 100 µm and the shapes of the metabolic movement, which often take a C- or S-shape. In addition to that the anterior end is tapered in a neck-like manner. The paramylon grains are mostly in the frontal half and are about the same size.

Astasia-tortuosa

Fig. 1 a-f: Astasia tortuosa. L = 98 µm. Different stages of metabolic movement of a specimen. F = flagellum, Nu = nucleus, PG = paramylon grains, Re = reservoir. Obj. 100 X.

Astasia-tortuosa

Fig. 2 a-c: Astasia tortuosa. L = 93 µm. Different stages of metabolic movement of a second specimen. Obj. 100 X.

Astasia-tortuosa

Fig. 3 a-b: Astasia tortuosa. A strongly squashed specimen. Note the clockwise running striation of the pellicle (SP). Obj. 100 X.