Colored Flagellates –
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Observations on Volvox aureus

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Volvox aureus Ehrenberg 1832

Most likely ID: n.a.

Basionym: n.a.

Add’l Synonyms: Volvox minor F.Stein 1854
                               Volvox dioicus F.J.Cohn 1875
                               Volvox dioica var. lismorensis Playfair ????
                               Volvox lismorensis Playfair 1915
                               Janetosphaera aurea (Ehrenberg) W.R.Shaw 1922

Sampling date 06/2024. Scale bars indicate 100 µm.

Three images. A look through the colony.

Please click on < or > on the image edges or on the dots at the bottom edge of the images to browse through the slides!

Place name: Bog Fleckenried near St. Ulrich am Pillersee (Tyrol)
Latitude: 47.506171 Longitude: 12.578852

Microscope Zeiss Universal, camera Olympus OM-D M5 MKII. DOF images.

Sampling date 06/2024. Scale bars indicate 50 µm (1–3), 10 µm (4).

Four images.
The colonies of Volvox are not just agglomerations of cells that are mechanically united, but contain differently specialized cells. For example, the cell colony is differentiated into front and back. The cells at the front end have a larger eye spot; this part is also directed forward when the whole colony moves. At the opposite end of the colony, the daughter colonies or sex cells are formed.

First and second:	Front pole of the colony, cells with large eyespots.
Third:	Posterior pole of the colony, where daughter colonies or sexual reproductive cells are formed.
Fourth:	Posterior pole of the colony, detail.

Please click on < or > on the image edges or on the dots at the bottom edge of the images to browse through the slides!

Place name: Bog Fleckenried near St. Ulrich am Pillersee (Tyrol)
Latitude: 47.506171 Longitude: 12.578852

Microscope Zeiss Universal, camera Olympus OM-D M5 MKII. DOF images.

Sampling date 06/2024. Scale bars indicate 10 µm (1), 25 µm (2–6).

Six images.
The vegetative cells of the mother colony perish after reproduction (sexually and asexually). Thus, in flagellates, the phenomenon occurs that certain cells of a colony are excluded from reproduction from the outset (creation of a “corpse” during reproduction).

First:	The particularly large cells at the posterior pole of the Volvox colony are gonidia, reproductive cells that develop either asexually into daughter colonies or into egg or sperm cells.
Second to fourth:	First steps towards the daughter colony. The first step can be seen at the bottom left of image center: cleavage № 1. Above that, in the upper third of the image, another daughter colony has completed the third cell division step: 8 cells. Up to this stage, the cells are not specialized, i.e. totipotent (*). Only the fourth division step (16 cells, see image no. 5 in the image changer) brings about specialization, combined with enormous cell growth.
Fifth:	Very young daughter colony, 16 cell embryo (*). The cell nuclei in the totipotent cells are very large and clearly visible; from the 4th cleavage onwards, the chloroplasts dominate the appearance of the cells.
Sixth:	Young daughter colony.

Please click on < or > on the image edges or on the dots at the bottom edge of the images to browse through the slides!

Place name: Bog Fleckenried near St. Ulrich am Pillersee (Tyrol)
Latitude: 47.506171 Longitude: 12.578852

Microscope Zeiss Universal, camera Olympus OM-D M5 MKII. DOF images.

(*) Daniel, E. W., Peter, T., & Thompson, R. H. (2006). Cleavage pattern of Volvox aureus (Volvocales). Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science, 109(3), 139-148.

Sampling date 09/2010. Scale bars indicate 250 µm (1), 100 µm (2).

Two images.

First:	Cell colonies with daugther colonies. One parent colony on the lower right disintegrates and releases daughter colonies.
Second:	Close-up.

Please click on < or > on the image edges or on the dots at the bottom edge of the images to browse through the slides!

Place name: Lake Constance vicinity of Bodman (Germany)
Latitude: 47.796494 Longitude: 9.047656

Microscope Zeiss Universal, camera Olympus C7070WZ. DOF images.

Sampling date 09/2010. Scale bars indicate 100 µm (1,2), 50 µm (3).

Three images.

First and second:	Disintegrated parent colony with zygotes.
Third:	Closeup of a zygote. The mucilaginous sheath around the zygote is visible.

Please click on < or > on the image edges or on the dots at the bottom edge of the images to browse through the slides!

Place name: Lake Constance vicinity of Bodman (Germany)
Latitude: 47.796494 Longitude: 9.047656

Microscope Zeiss Universal, camera Olympus C7070WZ. DOF images.

Sampling date 09/2010. Scale bar indicates 25 µm.

An association of Volvox microgametes (spermatozoids).

Place name: Lake Constance vicinity of Bodman (Germany)
Latitude: 47.796494 Longitude: 9.047656

Microscope Zeiss Universal, camera Olympus C7070WZ. DOF images.

© Wolfgang Bettighofer,
images under Creative Commons License V 3.0 (CC BY-NC-SA).
For permission to use of (high resolution) images please contact postmaster@protisten.de.

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Observations on Volvox aureus

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