Thecamoeba terricola
(Greef, 1866) Lepsi, 1960
Most likely ID: n.a.
Synonym: n.a.
Sampling location: Moss
Phylogenetic tree: n.a.
Diagnosis:
- slow monopodial movement, surface wrinkled
- cytoplasm hyaline and refractive
- length 60–200 µm, sometimes larger
- nucleus ellipsiod (14–31 µm) with parietal nucleolar bodies
- one contractile vacuole
- uroid strongly wrinkled, in parallel folds or with hyaline knobs
I found Thecamoeba terricola in a moss sample that I had doused with tap water. After 2 weeks in a closed petri dish, a large population of Thecamoeba terricola had formed.
Thecamoeba terricola is one of the larger members of the genus Thecamoeba. In my population the specimens were mostly larger than 100 µm. The free-flowing form (s. figs. 1 a-f and 3 a-f) often shows a terminal uroid, which appears either strongly folded or short, knob-like protrusions. The surface shows no or inconspicuous longitudinal folds. An essential feature of Thecamoeba terricola is the ellipsoidal nucleus with a parietal nucleolus, which is either present in small pieces (s. fig. 2) or in cup-shaped pieces (s. fig. 4).
More images and information on Thecamoeba terricola: Ferry Siemensma-Microworld-Thecamoeba terricola
Fig. 1 a-f: Thecamoeba terricola. L = 190 µm. A free-flowing specimen. CV = contractile vacuole, Nu = nucleus, UR = uroid. Obj. 40 X.
Fig. 2: Thecamoeba terricola. The nucleus (Nu) of the specimen as shown in fig. 1 a-f with parietal arranged nucleoar bodies (Nuc). Obj. 100 X.
Fig. 3 a-f: Thecamoeba terricola. L = 100 µm. A second, smaller specimen. CV = contractile vacuole, Nu = nucleus, UR = uroid. Obj. 60 X.
Fig. 4: Thecamoeba terricola. L = 100 µm. The nucleus (Nu) of the specimen as shown in fig. 3 a-f with parietal arranged nucleoar bodies (Nuc). Obj. 100 X.