“Skeletal” Elements Involved in Prey Capture by the Antrarctic Foraminiferan Astrammina Rara
Benthic foraminifera are considered primarily as “grazers” on bacteria, algae and other protozoans. However, in the benthic communities of the Ross Sea, Antarctica, field observations indicated that several species of agglutinated foraminifera (e.g., Astramina rara —shell ca. 2mm diameter) captured...
| Published in: | Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America |
|---|---|
| Main Authors: | , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
1985
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0424820100119247 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0424820100119247 |
| Summary: | Benthic foraminifera are considered primarily as “grazers” on bacteria, algae and other protozoans. However, in the benthic communities of the Ross Sea, Antarctica, field observations indicated that several species of agglutinated foraminifera (e.g., Astramina rara —shell ca. 2mm diameter) captured and digested larger metazoans (e.g., isopods such as Munna sp.—ca. 1cm in length). During prey capture the foraminiferan's reticulopodia (thin, anastomosing pseudopodia; Fig. 1) withstood the prey's vigorous escape efforts. We have attempted to identify the structural elements which impart the apparently high tensile strength of reticulopodia. To study the reticulopodial cytoskeleton, we fixed specimens of Astramina with 3% glutaraldehyde/0.1M PIPES supplemented with 0.04% tannic acid, followed by brief postfixation with 0.5% 0s0 4 . The reticulopodial surface was examined in specimens fixed with 3% glutaraldehyde/0.1M PIPES supplemented with 1.5mg/ml ruthenium red, followed by 0.5% OsO 4 containing 1.5mg/ml ruthenium red. |
|---|