Actinophrys sol
Actinophyrs sol with fresh prey.
Actinophyrs sol
It is fairly comon to see A. sol gatherings containing two or sometimes even more individuals to share some prey.
Gathering of A. sol or binary fission.
Gathering of A. sol or binary fission.
Actinophrys sol details
Actinophyrs sol (Ehrenberg, 1830) is the most common of all Heliozoans. It can be found virtually in every pond, ditch, etc. With a diameter of 50 µm Actinophyrs is much smaller than Actinospaerium. It feeds on smaller ciliates and algae. The nucleus is located in the centre. Multiple nucleoli are visible at the inside of the nuclear envelope where the axonemes connect. Quite often plasmogamy (where 2 or more species unite to jointly digest food) can be observed. Actinophyrs reproduces through binary fission and, like Actinospaerium, can create a cyst to wait for better living conditions.