La vida secreta de los bichos:

Swimming Ciliate Part II

A fascinating and functional member of the microscopic ecosystem
by Natalie Walton, Aquafix Microscopist

Swimming ciliates are one of the more common types of protozoa found in wastewater. This is because they can be present in almost any sludge age. However, since swimming ciliates tend to be food for metazoa, other protozoa, and sometimes even other swimming ciliates, they will only dominate in younger sludge ages. I know what you are thinking, “Why should I care about swimming ciliates?” Well, aside from just wanting to be loved and understood like the rest of us, swimming ciliates help maintain a clear effluent by feeding on the free bacteria within a system. They also eat algae which can give them a green hue.

Now that we understand this organism a bit better we can switch gears and talk about more superficial things: appearance. Swimming ciliates come in many different shapes and sizes. The video above shows two distinctly different types of swimming ciliates, likely Spirostomum and Coleps. Typically, identification past that of swimming ciliate is not required for successfully understanding a wastewater plant, but it can be fun information to know.

So, how does one know that these are swimming ciliates? Well, the longer swimming ciliate in the video can easily be identified due to the cilia clearly observed on the edges of the organism in addition to the way it moves. The second swimming ciliate is trickier to identify because, unlike its counterpart, not only does it lack clearly visible cilia, but there is a type of testate amoeba that could be its twin. In fact, without extensive examination, the two can only really be told apart by how they move. The testate amoeba twin typically does not move very far very fast, if at all, while swimming ciliates do what their name implies — swim.

Swimming ciliates may seem like minor players in the vast world of wastewater treatment, but their role is far from insignificant. Their ability to thrive in various sludge ages, contribute to a clearer effluent by consuming free bacteria and algae, and their dynamic movement patterns make them fascinating and functional members of the microscopic ecosystem. While detailed identification beyond recognizing them as swimming ciliates isn’t usually necessary for plant operation, understanding their presence can offer valuable insight—and a bit of scientific curiosity never hurts. Whether you’re in it for the biology or just intrigued by the tiny swimmers under the microscope, swimming ciliates certainly earn their place in the spotlight.

Gracias por leer y permanezca atento a la próxima edición de La vida secreta de los bichos.

¿Tiene algo bajo el microscopio que no acaba de entender? Pruebe nuestro kit de pruebas de microanálisis y origen de filamentos para obtener una visión completa de lo que ocurre en su planta.

Sobre el autor

Natalie Walton se incorporó a Aquafix en 2019 y se centra en realizar análisis microscópicos de muestras de clientes, así como en llevar a cabo experimentos sobre innovación en la eliminación de grasas. También fue una colaboradora clave en la creación de nuestra base de datos de microorganismos que proporciona consejos de identificación e investigación.