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Spirotrichea: Stichotrichida: Sporadotrichina: Oxytrichidae

Stylonychia mytilus
Ehrenberg, 1838

Stylonychia putrina Family: Frontoventral cirri scattered on forward, mid- and rear areas of ventrum.
Genus: Marginal cirri not confluent at rear; oral cavity wide, expansive; caudal cirri (usually 3) prominent (Illustrated Guide, 1985). Cell body ovoid to elongate, inflexible; large AZM supported anteriorly by a collar; two rows of marginal cirri not confluent posteriorly; strongly-developed frontoventral & transverse cirri present; three long, stiff caudal cilia; dorsal surface ornamented by short rows of cirri; two macronuclei; cyst stage recorded in some species (Carey, 1992).
8 (3 + 2 + 3) frontal, 5 ventral, 5 transverse, 3 caudal cirri.

Species: 100-300 μm long (Kudo, 1966). Elongate, anterior wider than posterior; up to 300 μm long; AZM 1/3 to 1/2 body length; distinctive 3 frontal and 3 long caudal cirri; two ovoid macronuclei (Carey, 1992).


Stylonychia mytilus, cell body μm long, μm wide, x 640, drainage ditch exit, Ta-gawa (Ta river), Kawanago, Kaminokawa town, Tochigi Pref., Japan, May 4, 2004 by Y. Tsukii
scale 31 μm scale 63 μm scale 94 μm; x 640
Stylonychia mytilus Stylonychia mytilus Stylonychia mytilus Stylonychia mytilus Stylonychia mytilus


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