Amoebae and relatives
Testate amoebae
Arcella, Difflugia, Centropyxis and relatives
Amoebae living inside a shell (test). Arcella's shell looks like a brown dome; Difflugia builds a vase from sand grains.
What to look for
- A rigid shell with one opening; lobes of cytoplasm come out of it and pull the shell along.
- Arcella: smooth, round, yellow to brown dome, seen from above as a disc with a central hole.
- Difflugia: flask or vase shaped, covered in tiny mineral grains.
Size in the field
Small to medium; a tenth of the field at 100× for larger species.
Where to find it
Moss, bog water, the surface of sediments and leaves.
Clips 0
No clip of this group is on the site yet. The description above is enough to check your own observation.