Dicranophorus hauerianus var. (Wieszniewski, 1939)
Dicranophorus hauerianus var: dorsoventral view; focus plane on the ciliary field of the head and the conspicuous toes. The specimens from this location (Brittany) differ in certain traits from the species described in the literature up to now. For instance the specimens from this sample do not live as epibionts on crustaceans as it is reported for D. hauerianus, D. cambari and D. siedleckii.
Dicranophorus hauerianus var.: lateral view. The arrow points to one of two diatoms that are in the stomach of this specimen. In contrast to the descriptions for Dicranophorus hauerianus, Dicranophorus cambari and Dicranophorus siedleckii (which are all reported to feed on ciliates and rotifers) the specimens from this sample were all feeding on algae/ diatoms although rotifers (e.g. Keratella, Lepadella etc.) were rather abundant.
Dicranophorus hauerianus var: left image: head in ventral view; focus plane on the ciliary field. Right: foot with conspicuous foot glands and toes.
Dicranophorus hauerianus var.: trophi. The yellow rectangle marks a structure that might be the epipharyngeal plate (see right image below). (in the lower part of the image are diatoms).
Dicranophorus hauerianus var.: left image: trophi; focus plane on the rami. The inner margins of the rami have 5 teeth which increase in size fulcrum-wise. Right image: focus plane on another dentated structure (epipharyngeal plate?) with 4 teeth each.
