Helizoa, taking a food particle through its axopods

After being collected from a paddy field, the sample was put on 1% agar plate with a drop of distilled water and kept for a few days.

A food particle begins its journey from the end of the Helizoa’s axopod down to the cell surface. Finally it is absorbed into the cell where digestion can begin.

Commentary by Prof. Yuji Tsukii, Hosei University
Small types of Helizoa like this one can be frequently observed, but they do not have any remarkable features. Furthermore, there is very little information in the literature on protozoa, so it can be difficult to identify these organisms.

The only notable features of the organism in this video are the long, needle-like axopods extending from the cell surface. It probably belongs to the genus Rabdiophrys, but this group no longer belongs to the Helizoea group. It is now classified as part of the Filosea group, not Heliozoea.

http://protist.i.hosei.ac.jp/PDB/Im.....

Sampling Date : 16 October 2006

Sampling Site : KASHIMADAI paddy field  Google Map