Metromonas simplex ( Griessmann 1913 ) Larsen and Patterson 1990

Lee, Won Je, 2015, Small Free-Living Heterotrophic Flagellates from Marine Sediments of Gippsland Basin, South-Eastern Australia, Acta Protozoologica 54 (1), pp. 53-76 : 68

Metromonas simplex ( Griessmann 1913) Larsen and Patterson 1990 ( Fig. 4j )

Observation: Cell outline is obovate. Cells are 3.5 to 7 µm long and dorso-ventrally flattened, and have smooth pellicle. Two flagella of very unequal length arise from the posterior part of the cell. The major flagellum is 1.5 to 3.0 times the cell length, the shorter flagellum is inactive and about 1 µm long, and inserts to the right of the major flagellum. It may be difficult to see sometimes. The cells normally attach to the substratum with the long flagellum and swing from side to side like a pendulum and the cells may also glide with the cell body in front of the flagellum.

Remarks: This species was found in various marine sites in the world and cell lengths from 3 to 9 µm were reported ( Griessmann 1913; Larsen and Patterson 1990; Vørs 1992a, b, 1993a; Ekebom et al. 1996; Patterson and Simpson 1996; Tong 1997b; Tong et al. 1997, 1998; Lee and Patterson 2000; Al-Qassab et al. 2002; Lee 2002b, 2006b; Aydin and Lee 2012).

Figures

Fig. 4. a – Carpediemonas membranifera; b – Kipferlia bialata; c – Discocelis saleuta, note a short flagellum; d – Metopion fluens, showing general appearance of cell, note shorter flagellum (arrow); e–f – Kurnaimonas celeris nov. spec., showing general appearance of cell; g – Pseudophyllomitus granulatus; h – Helkesimastix faecicola, showing general appearance and note short flagellum (arrow); i – Metromonas grandis, showing general appearance of cell and note the folded margin on the left side and short flagellum (arrow); j – Metromonas simplex, showing general appearance of cell and note short flagellum (arrow); k – Kiitoksia kaloista, showing two flagella and note short flagellum (arrow); l – Sinistermonas sinistrorsus nov. spec., showing general appearance of cell, and note flagellar insertion and beating pattern of anterior flagellum; m – Telonema subtilis, showing general appearance; n – Protist ‘1’. All micrographs are DIC images. Scale bar: 5 µm for all figures.