Genus: Cigar- or foot-shaped; a single macronucleus and 1 to several vesicular or compact micronuclei
(Kudo, 1966).
Species: 180-300 μm long; a compact micronucleus; two contractile vacuoles (Kudo, 1966). Cylindrical or cigar-shaped; rounded anteriorly, pointed posteriorly; one large compact micronucleus ("caudatum" group) approximately 8 μm diam.; two contractile vacuoles; 170-290 μm long (Wichterman, 1986). Elongate, rounded anteriorly, pointed posteriorly; caudal cilia present; 180-280 μm long; a single macronucleus with a single micronucleus; two contractile vacuoles (Carey, 1992). |
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Dividing cells of P. caudatum; orcein staining; by Y. Tsukii
Macronucleus divide amitotically, micronucleus mitotically
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150 μm; x 400
A dividing intact cell; by Y. Tsukii
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