Caught, escaped and stuck again

After an intense struggle, an euglena frees itself from a particle and swims around for a while. However it gets caught by another particle. It changes its flexible shape repeatedly in its effort to break free.

Commentary by Prof. Yuji Tsukii, Hosei University
This organism is probably Euglena viridis.

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

Compared to the most common E. viridis, its body appears larger than usual, but such changes in size may occur depending on living conditions. The cell appears transparent and without particles in the rear half of the body. However, there are chloroplasts arranged like a ribbon along the cell wall to the rear end.

Sampling Date : 08 August 2009

Sampling Site : Hirose River A  Google Map