Cyrtonia tuba Ehrenberg, 1834
Most likely ID: n.a.
Synonym: n.a.
Sampling location: Simmelried
Phylogenetic tree: Cyrtonia tuba
Diagnosis:
- body conical and sigmoid
- dorsal arched
- cuticle transparent and flexible
- length 200–363 µm
- complex corona with long cilia
- toes slender and pointed
I regularly find Cyrtonia tuba between floating plants in the Simmelried. I have not yet found this species in my other sampling sites.
In the samples, Cyrtonia tuba can already be recognized at low magnification due to the typical sigmoid body shape. The transparent cuticle makes it easy to recognize and distinguish the organs (s. fig. 3). Cyrtonia tuba contracts quickly when the layer thickness is reduced. The corona has exceptionally long cilia and a complex structure (s. fig. 2 b). The stomach is mostly orange-brown or brown in color, but nothing is known about the diet of Cyrtonia tuba. I was also unable to observe any specimen feeding.
More images and information on Cyrtonia tuba: Michael Plewka – Freshwater life – Cyrtonia tuba
Fig. 1 a-c: Cyrtonia tuba. L = 292 µm. Different focal planes of a slightly squashed specimen from right. Obj. 40 X.
Fig. 2 a-b: Cyrtonia tuba. L = 273 µm. A freely swimming, transparent specimen from ventral. Note the corona (CO) with the long cilia and the pointed toes (TO). BL = bladder. Obj. 40 X.
Fig. 3: Cyrtonia tuba. L = 292 µm. The specimen as shwon in fig. 1 a-c in detail. BL = bladder, DA = dorsal antenna, ES = eyespot, GG = gastric glands, St = stomach, Vit = vitellarium. Obj. 60 X.
Fig. 4: Cyrtonia tuba. The trophi in a strongly squashed specimen. Obj. 100 X.