Neobursaridium
Neobursaridium Balech, 1941 (ref. ID; 2014)
Class Oligohymenophora: Subclass Hymenostomata: Order Hymenostomatida (ref. ID; 2014)
[ref. ID; 2014]
Large ciliate, oval in outline with the anterior left edge slightly truncated obliquely. Highly flattened dorso-ventrally with slightly convex dorsal surface. There is a large peristomial area extending from the apical region to the equator occupying about half of the surface are of the anterior half of the ventral side. There are pairs of kinetosomes surrounding the peristome which form a zone closely resembling an adoral zone of membranelles as found in the spirotrichs. A deep buccal cavity leads posteriorly from the end of the peristome to terminate in a cytostome in the posterior body quarter, it contains 3 membranelles that spiral down from the equatorial region to the cytostome. Somatic ciliation dense and short. 2 contractile vacuoles are located in the anterior and posterior halves of the cell, and each is served by a series of long radiating canals. Trichocysts present. Macronucleus large, dump-bell shaped lying in the center of the body. The animal is capable of closing the edges of the peristome together when it could be mistaken for Frontonia.
Single species genus.
Quote; Colin R. Curds, Michael A. Gates and David McL. Roberts "British and other freshwater ciliated protozoa Part II Ciliophora: Oligohymenophora and Polyhymenophora" Cambridge University Press, 1983 (ref. ID; 2014)
- Neobursaridium gigans (ref. ID; 191)