Biology and ultrastructure of the mycophagus, soil testate amoeba, Phryganella acropodia (Rhizopoda, Protozoa)

Abstract

Clones of Phryganella acropodia were cultivated under different trophic conditions with bacteria as the food source. The doubling time was estimated to be 3 days. The edibility of four species of fungi, Aspergillus niger, Cunninghamella echinulata, Penicillium echinulatum and Stilbella bulbicola, was tested, but only Penicillium enchinulatum and Stilbella bulbicola were eaten and digested by the amoeba. An ultrastructure examination showed that there are two contractile vacuoles, many dictyosomes, a single nucleus with several nucleoli, and peroxisomes. The pseudopodia are filiform when attached to the substrate but change to lobose when the animal is floating. A thin organic membrane covers the aperture of resting forms.