My Omnipotence: Week 5 (Revelation)

     This week I viewed my MicroAquarium™ for the last time. It was relatively less active than the previous viewing but still active enough to spot life almost anywhere. I spotted many of the organisms identified in past blog entries before coming across the protozoa in Figure 1.

 Figure 1: Photo of Notosolenus sp. taken during movement. 

Note the prominent anterior flagella. (Lee, 1985)

 Figure 2: Short animation taken from video of Notosolenus sp.

 (Lee, 1985)

 

Video 1: Digital video of Notosolenus sp. (Lee, 1985)

     I eventually identified the organism as the genus Notosolenus. (Lee, 1985) Some characteristics that helped with identification were the colorless appearance, egg-shaped body, and the presence of two flagella. Both flagella were positioned anteriorly on the organism but only one was clearly visible. The second shorter flagella was dragged alongside its body providing stabilization. (Lee, 1985) The primary flagella thrashed in all directions like an out of control fire hose. I first assumed the round structures inside the body (as seen in Figure 2) were organelles. I later learned that this genus was colorless and most organelles were unable to be viewed with a compound light microscope. (Lee, 1985) I hypothesized that the greenish spots inside of the body were algae consumed by the organism via phagocytosis. This was a gluttonous protozoa.