Bryophrya rubescens Penard, 1922
Most likely ID: n.a.
Synonym: Glaucoma rubescens
Sampling location: Moss
Phylogenetic tree: Bryophrya rubescens
Diagnosis:
- body reniform or ovoid
- length 100–130 µm
- oral apparatus in anterior third, C-shaped
- oblique preoral suture present (hard to see)
- cytoplasm brick-red colored
- globular macronucleus (diameter about 23 µm)
- one spherical micronucleus
- cortex with inconspicuous, fusiform mucocysts
- contractile vacuole terminal
I have only ever found Bryophrya rubescens once in a moss sample from a tree. Within the genus Bryophrya 4 species are defined, but only Bryophrya rubescens is brick-red, like the specimens of my population. Apparently, Bryophrya rubescens has only been found and described by Penard (1922) and Sramek-Husek (1952). The only size information comes from Penard, who gives a length of 90–110 µm. However, the specimens of my specimen were only 60–70 µm long, but all other features matched the existing descriptions of Bryophrya rubescens. The mouth opening is located in the anterior third, slightly displaced to the left (s. fig. 1 a-b). The spherical macronucleus has only one attached micronucleus (s. fig. 3) and the cytoplasm has a brick-red coloration. On the right below the mouth opening I could recognize elongated cilia (s. fig. 2 b), which were also described by Sramek-Husek.
Fig. 1 a-b: Bryophrya rubescens. L = 61 µm. Two focal planes of a freely swimming specimen. Note the brick-red colored cytoplasm. Obj. 100 X.
Fig. 2 a-b: Bryophrya rubescens. L = 61 µm. The slightly squashed specimen as shown in fig. 1 a-b. Note the elongated cilia (EC) and the right side of the mouth opening. CV = contractile vacuole. Obj. 100 X.
Fig. 3: Bryophrya rubescens. The spherical macronucleus (Ma) with one adjacent micronucleus (Mi). Obj. 100 X.