Metopion, Larsen & Patterson, 1990

Lee, Won Je & Patterson, David J., 2000, Heterotrophic flagellates (Protista) from marine sediments of Botany Bay, Australia, Journal of Natural History 34, pp. 483-562 : 552-553

Metopion ¯uens Larsen and Patterson, 1990

(fi gures 24j, 26a, b)

Description. Cell outline ovate, 5-9 Mm long and 3.5-7 Mm wide, laterally compressed, with a small rostrum anterior to the fl agellar insertion. Small bodies are seen in the protrusion or at the proximal anterior part of the cell. Two fl agella of unequal size emerge from a ventral groove located in the left side of the cell. The long fl agellum is about 1.5 times the cell length, is thickened and is not tapered at the tip, and the short fl agellum may be di ffi cult to see. With small granules in the posterior part of the cell. The nucleus is situated near the groove. Moves by gliding. Rarely observed.

Remarks. Previous reported with cell lengths from 3 to 9 Mm. This species has been found in marine sites in tropical Australia, Denmark, Brazil, England, Fiji, Gulf of Finland ( Larsen and Patterson, 1990; Vørs, 1992a, 1992b; Patterson and Simpson, 1996; Tong, 1997b; Tong et al., 1998). Our observations are in accord with the observations of previous authors. This species may be confused with Ancyromonas sigmoides , but can be distinguished by its broad anterior end and by the position of the second fl agellum—that of M. ¯uens is directed posteriorly, while that of Ancyromonas sigmoides is directed anteriorly. According to Tong (1997b), M. ¯uens may feed on other fl agellates as well as bacteria.