Scaled Beast from Sphagnum (imaged by Eckhard)

Summary:

Discussion on possible identity.

Scaled Beast from Sphagnum (imaged by Eckhard)

dlahr 01 Oct 2014 19:28

Hi all,

This seems very intriguing. It is tiny too! About 3 microns in diameter? I agree that this could be among the euglyphids, I know Enrique was looking into incredibly small euglyphids…

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Pseudopod your life.

Re: Scaled Beast from Sphagnum (imaged by Eckhard)

Edward Mitchell 01 Oct 2014 19:56

Indeed this may be an unknown euglyphid. The scales are not round or oval but seem somewhat triangular rounded, which would I believe be something new if indeed it falls within the Euglyphida.

Have you seen pseudopodia to give us any further indication that this could be a euglyphid?

In any case it shows that we should be looking more carefully at <10 or even <5µm protists!

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Edward Mitchell - Pseudopod your life!

Re: Scaled Beast from Sphagnum (imaged by Eckhard)

dlahr 02 Oct 2014 13:02

Good point Edward. I also think that bsides the pseudopod an aperture would put this almost certainly within euglyphids.

Other possibilities are:

- centrohelid heliozoan (strange, but possible)
- small scaled algae (could be green alga or haptophyte)

Composition of the scales could be helpful too.

Have you posted this picture on algae forums? I can send it out if you want.

dan

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Pseudopod your life.

Re: Scaled Beast from Sphagnum (imaged by Eckhard)

Eckhard 08 Oct 2014 06:42

I have not seen it in the light microscope. Dan, feel free to post it somewhere else but provide a link here.

I looked at it from all sides and did not see an aperture.

Eckhard

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www.penard.de

Re: Scaled Beast from Sphagnum (imaged by Eckhard)

dlahr 08 Oct 2014 13:47

Hi Eckhard,

I sent an e-mail out to the ALGAE-L listserv. I gave them the address of this website to check the image. I will post here whatever they respond.

cheers!

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Pseudopod your life.

Re: Scaled Beast from Sphagnum (imaged by Eckhard)

LARA Enrique 26 Nov 2014 07:51

Hi everybody,
In my opinion, this is the back part of some kind of Sphenoderia, the pseudostome should be on the other side. Sphenoderias can be extremely tiny, and seen under that angle that's more or less how they should appear. Does this come from the wet part of a poor fen?

Re: Scaled Beast from Sphagnum (imaged by Eckhard)

dlahr 25 Nov 2014 15:09

Hi Eckard,

Prof. José Barufi, in southern Brazil, has suggested that this indeed would be a haptophyte. His words:

"My votes are to Haptophyte, considering plates scheme and general layout. However, you should be able to find a haptonema to be certainly sure about it. Maybe is this structure leaving out the cell?"

cheers!

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Pseudopod your life.