Bruce Taylor
@brucedstaylor.bsky.social
Research Associate at the Canadian Museum of Nature, curator of eensy creatures at iNaturalist. Strangely preoccupied with bog ciliates and arcellinid amoebae. Blogger at www.itcamefromthepond.com. Ancestrally biflagellate.
The amoeba Difflugia bacillifera builds its shell from things that contain silica, and it is not particular about the source. These ones have incorporated whole shells from another testate amoeba (Euglypha), along with diatoms, algal cysts and chunks of rock. #Amoebae #ProtistsOnSky #peatlands
November 6, 2025 at 4:16 PM
The amoeba Difflugia bacillifera builds its shell from things that contain silica, and it is not particular about the source. These ones have incorporated whole shells from another testate amoeba (Euglypha), along with diatoms, algal cysts and chunks of rock. #Amoebae #ProtistsOnSky #peatlands
I broke some shells of Galeripora artocrea, to look at their algal hostages...and accidentally created Pac-Man amoebae. #amoebae #peatlands #ProtistsOnSky
September 8, 2025 at 5:52 PM
I broke some shells of Galeripora artocrea, to look at their algal hostages...and accidentally created Pac-Man amoebae. #amoebae #peatlands #ProtistsOnSky
Amoebae in the family Arcellidae make their shells from secreted vesicles of organic material that become hexagonal when pressed together. When a shell is broken, we can see inside the stiff-walled "areoles" that give it strength and durability. #ProtistsOnSky #Amoebae #peatlands
August 17, 2025 at 12:43 PM
Amoebae in the family Arcellidae make their shells from secreted vesicles of organic material that become hexagonal when pressed together. When a shell is broken, we can see inside the stiff-walled "areoles" that give it strength and durability. #ProtistsOnSky #Amoebae #peatlands
Last day in the field...time to wind down, pack up, put my stuff away. Of course, the sneaky shelled amoeba I've been chasing all week SUDDENLY decides to start blooming like crazy. #ProtistsOnSky #amoebae
July 24, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Last day in the field...time to wind down, pack up, put my stuff away. Of course, the sneaky shelled amoeba I've been chasing all week SUDDENLY decides to start blooming like crazy. #ProtistsOnSky #amoebae
Yup, Difflugia leidyi...named for Joseph Leidy, who found a single specimen of the morphotype, which he didn't give a name. He was careful, that way, reluctant to create new taxa. :)
June 11, 2025 at 12:31 PM
Yup, Difflugia leidyi...named for Joseph Leidy, who found a single specimen of the morphotype, which he didn't give a name. He was careful, that way, reluctant to create new taxa. :)
But why does an amoeba need horns on its shell? They're quite carefully made, with flat plates neatly glued around them (possibly scales from another organism). The spheres around the mouth are siliceous resting cysts of chrysophyte algae. #ProtistsonSky #MEvoSky #Amoebae #Peatlands
June 11, 2025 at 12:03 PM
But why does an amoeba need horns on its shell? They're quite carefully made, with flat plates neatly glued around them (possibly scales from another organism). The spheres around the mouth are siliceous resting cysts of chrysophyte algae. #ProtistsonSky #MEvoSky #Amoebae #Peatlands
Ugh. When know-it-all "large language model" AI starts pontificating on things it has read about but can't actually see, the results can be ludicrous. See the attached chatGPT fail, from a reddit thread.
June 10, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Ugh. When know-it-all "large language model" AI starts pontificating on things it has read about but can't actually see, the results can be ludicrous. See the attached chatGPT fail, from a reddit thread.
The glue is secreted in vesicles, generated in the Golgi apparatus and deposed as these discrete blobs...forming a matrix which varies in appearance from one species to the next. In some, the solidified matrix is quite fancy (see the attached pic of cement in Lesquereusia spiralis).
June 8, 2025 at 11:23 AM
The glue is secreted in vesicles, generated in the Golgi apparatus and deposed as these discrete blobs...forming a matrix which varies in appearance from one species to the next. In some, the solidified matrix is quite fancy (see the attached pic of cement in Lesquereusia spiralis).
Many amoebae incorporate diatoms in their shells, but Cylindrifflugia bacillariarum is the master. Third and fourth pics are close views of the glue that holds it all together. #ProtistsonSky #Amoebae #Peatlands
June 7, 2025 at 12:22 PM
Many amoebae incorporate diatoms in their shells, but Cylindrifflugia bacillariarum is the master. Third and fourth pics are close views of the glue that holds it all together. #ProtistsonSky #Amoebae #Peatlands
An amoeba with teeth. When building its shell, Netzelia corona selects sharp grains of quartz and positions them around its aperture with the tips pointing inward. I took a few closeups, yesterday. #ProtistsonSky #amoebae #peatlands #MEvoSky
May 31, 2025 at 8:33 PM
An amoeba with teeth. When building its shell, Netzelia corona selects sharp grains of quartz and positions them around its aperture with the tips pointing inward. I took a few closeups, yesterday. #ProtistsonSky #amoebae #peatlands #MEvoSky
Recently, we described a "new" species of amoeba. It's just been found it again, 700 km away. I suspect it's common in eastern N.A., but not noticed until it had a name. One reason to do taxonomy: describing a thing makes it visible! www.inaturalist.org/observations... #taxonomy #systematics
May 10, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Recently, we described a "new" species of amoeba. It's just been found it again, 700 km away. I suspect it's common in eastern N.A., but not noticed until it had a name. One reason to do taxonomy: describing a thing makes it visible! www.inaturalist.org/observations... #taxonomy #systematics
Some specimens of a shelled amoeba called Heleopera sphagni, from a northern fen. The shell is assembled from jagged siliceous plates, but where did they come from? Stolen from a prey organism, or generated by the amoeba itself? I have no idea! #protistsonsky #amoebae #peatlands
May 8, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Some specimens of a shelled amoeba called Heleopera sphagni, from a northern fen. The shell is assembled from jagged siliceous plates, but where did they come from? Stolen from a prey organism, or generated by the amoeba itself? I have no idea! #protistsonsky #amoebae #peatlands
His "slipper animalcules" really do look like slippers. 😆
February 22, 2025 at 2:16 PM
His "slipper animalcules" really do look like slippers. 😆
Avert your eyes if you have "trypophobia"! Here are some close views of the beautiful organic "glue" the amoeba Difflugia microclaviformis uses to cement together bits of quartz and diatoms, to build its shell. #ProtistsonSky #amoebae #peatlands #NatureisLit
February 21, 2025 at 1:53 AM
Avert your eyes if you have "trypophobia"! Here are some close views of the beautiful organic "glue" the amoeba Difflugia microclaviformis uses to cement together bits of quartz and diatoms, to build its shell. #ProtistsonSky #amoebae #peatlands #NatureisLit
A shelled amoeba we recently described, Arcella prismatica. These ones were collected from Mer Bleue Bog, in Ottawa. So far, it's only been found there and in a subarctic mire in Chisasibi, James Bay. #ProtistsOnSky #TestateAmoebae #peatland #MerBleueBog #Ottawa
February 6, 2025 at 1:30 PM
A shelled amoeba we recently described, Arcella prismatica. These ones were collected from Mer Bleue Bog, in Ottawa. So far, it's only been found there and in a subarctic mire in Chisasibi, James Bay. #ProtistsOnSky #TestateAmoebae #peatland #MerBleueBog #Ottawa
Work with microbes? Consider the risks!
February 2, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Work with microbes? Consider the risks!
A perfect little thing, crafted by a cunning amoeboid. This shell was collected in a calcareous fen near Winnipeg, Canada. It's the handiwork (pseudopodiwork?) of the cercozoan amoeba Scutiglypha scutigera (=Euglypha scutigera). #ProtistsOnSky #TestateAmoebae #peatland
January 25, 2025 at 6:37 PM
A perfect little thing, crafted by a cunning amoeboid. This shell was collected in a calcareous fen near Winnipeg, Canada. It's the handiwork (pseudopodiwork?) of the cercozoan amoeba Scutiglypha scutigera (=Euglypha scutigera). #ProtistsOnSky #TestateAmoebae #peatland
Meet Arcella prismatica, a new species of shelled amoeba from peatlands in suburban Ottawa and James Bay. doi.org/10.22621/cfn...
#ProtistsOnSky #Protists #Amoebae
#ProtistsOnSky #Protists #Amoebae
January 19, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Meet Arcella prismatica, a new species of shelled amoeba from peatlands in suburban Ottawa and James Bay. doi.org/10.22621/cfn...
#ProtistsOnSky #Protists #Amoebae
#ProtistsOnSky #Protists #Amoebae
The shelled amoeba Zivkovicia compressa, divided internally by a central pillar and a thin-walled "diaphragm" with two round openings. Maybe for defense against parasitic rotifers and other micro-villains? Last pic shows its rather fancy organic cement. #ProtistsOnSky #Protists #Amoebae
January 19, 2025 at 12:04 AM
The shelled amoeba Zivkovicia compressa, divided internally by a central pillar and a thin-walled "diaphragm" with two round openings. Maybe for defense against parasitic rotifers and other micro-villains? Last pic shows its rather fancy organic cement. #ProtistsOnSky #Protists #Amoebae
A shell within a shell. The arcellinid amoeba Cyclopyxis pirini builds its test out of found materials. This one incorporated a rhizarian shelled amoeba from the other side of the eukaryote tree, Scutiglypha crenulata (=Euglypha acanthophora?).
#ProtistsOnSky #Protists #Amoebae
#ProtistsOnSky #Protists #Amoebae
December 17, 2024 at 1:30 PM
A shell within a shell. The arcellinid amoeba Cyclopyxis pirini builds its test out of found materials. This one incorporated a rhizarian shelled amoeba from the other side of the eukaryote tree, Scutiglypha crenulata (=Euglypha acanthophora?).
#ProtistsOnSky #Protists #Amoebae
#ProtistsOnSky #Protists #Amoebae
So, here's an amoeba that makes its shell out self-secreted siliceous "noodles". The organic glue that holds them together is laid down as a meshwork of dainty rosettes, each about 750 nanometers across. Lesquereusia spiralis: a commonplace marvel. #ProtistsOnSky #biomineralization
December 11, 2024 at 6:03 PM
So, here's an amoeba that makes its shell out self-secreted siliceous "noodles". The organic glue that holds them together is laid down as a meshwork of dainty rosettes, each about 750 nanometers across. Lesquereusia spiralis: a commonplace marvel. #ProtistsOnSky #biomineralization
Usually, I don't pay much attention to diatoms and chrysophytes, but when an amoeba glues a bunch of them together to make its shell, suddenly I can't stop staring. Here are two shells of Difflugia globulosa, collected in Chisasibi, on the coast of James Bay. #ProtistsOnSky
December 9, 2024 at 12:21 AM
Usually, I don't pay much attention to diatoms and chrysophytes, but when an amoeba glues a bunch of them together to make its shell, suddenly I can't stop staring. Here are two shells of Difflugia globulosa, collected in Chisasibi, on the coast of James Bay. #ProtistsOnSky
Zooming in on *Arcella spectabilis*, a shelled amoebozoan from Ottawa's Mer Bleue bog. #protistsonsky
December 7, 2024 at 4:50 PM
Zooming in on *Arcella spectabilis*, a shelled amoebozoan from Ottawa's Mer Bleue bog. #protistsonsky