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Spirotrichea: Stichotrichida: Sporadotrichina: Oxytrichidae

Stylonychia mytilus
Ehrenberg, 1838

Stylonychia mytilus 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 Ehrenberg, cell body 225 μm long, with two ovoid macronuclei, 4 large frontal cirri conspicuous, with many small ventral cirri, 5 large transverse cirri arranged V-shape, 3 caudal cirri, marginal cirri not confluent at rear, x 100, x 200, x 400, x 640, Saitama Pref., Japan, April 1999, by Y. Tsukii
scale 200 μm scale 400 μm scale 600 μm; x 100 : scale 100 μm scale 200 μm scale 300 μm; x 200
Stylonychia mytilus Stylonychia mytilus
scale 50 μm scale 100 μm scale 150 μm; x 400
Stylonychia mytilus Stylonychia mytilus
scale 31 μm scale 63 μm scale 94 μm; x 640
Stylonychia mytilus Stylonychia mytilus Stylonychia mytilus Stylonychia mytilus

Stylonychia mytilus, large transverse cirri, x 400, x 640, Saitama Pref., Japan, April 1999, by Y. Tsukii
scale 31 μm scale 63 μm scale 94 μm; x 640
Stylonychia mytilus Stylonychia mytilus
A starved cell
Stylonychia mytilus Stylonychia mytilus Stylonychia mytilus
A dividing cell
Stylonychia mytilus Stylonychia mytilus


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