Astylozoon cf fallax: Astylozoon is a genus of peritrich ciliates with no scopula, but with two stiff bristles instead (arrowheads). At a first glance this ciliate may be confused with a swarmer of other peritrich ciliates, but there is no second ciliar girdle.
Astylozoon cf fallax: the arrowheads point to the optical transects of the sausage-like macronucleus.
Astylozoon cf fallax: focus plane on the pellicular striation.
Astylozoon cf fallax: contracted specimen.
Location: Hattingen Oberstüter, Dach
Habitat: moss
Date: 21.01.2018
Identification by courtesy of Martin Kreutz, Konstanz