FAMILY VI. SIDEROCAPSACEAE 



225 



Genus VII. Ochrobium Perfiliev, 1921. 



(Perfiliev, in Wislouch, Bull. Institut Hydrobiol., Russia, 1921; Sideroderma in part, 



Naumann, Kungl. Svenska Vetenskapsakad. Handl., 62, Part 4, (1921) March 20, 



1922, 32; also see Naumann, Zent. f. Bakt., II Abt., 78, 1929, 514.) 



O.chro'bi.um. Gr. noun ochra yellow ochre, iron oxide; Gr. noun bins life, dwelling; 

 M.L. neut.n. Ochrobium ochre-dweller. 



Ellipsoidal to rod-shaped cells that are partially surrounded by a marginal thickening 

 (torus) that is heavily impregnated with iron. This torus remains open at one end so that 

 it resembles a horseshoe. The cells are surrounded b}' a delicate, transparent capsule that 

 contains a very small amount of iron. Polar flagellate. Widely distributed in fresh water. 



The type species is Ochrobium tectum Perfiliev. 



1. Ochrobium tectum Perfiliev, 1921. 

 (Perfiliev, in Wislouch, Bull. Institut 

 Hydrobiol., Russia, 1921; also see Nach- 

 richten des Sapropelkommittees, Leningrad, 

 1922, 1; and Verhandl. Intern. Verein. f. 

 theor. und angew. Limnologie (1925)3, T. 3, 

 1927; Sideroderma limneticum Naumann, 

 Kungl. Svenska Vetenskapsakad. Handl., 

 62, 1922, 32.) 



tec'tum. L. v. tego to cover; L. past part. 

 tectus covered. 



Cells small, ellipsoidal to rod-shaped, 0.5 

 to 3.0 hj 1.5 to 5.0 microns. Each cell is 

 surrounded by a heavily iron-impregnated 

 torus which is open at one pole. Pairs of 

 cells appear like a pair of horseshoes with 



the open ends together. The cells are cov- 

 ered with a delicate outer capsule, and they 

 may be united in small colonies. When 

 motile, they bear two unequal polar flagella. 



Comment: The cells are much like those 

 found in the algal genus Pteromonas, only 

 smaller. 



Source: Originally found in the region 

 about Leningrad; then found independently 

 by Naumann (Zent. f. Bakt., II Abt., 78, 

 1929, 514) in Sweden and later by Beger 

 (Zent. f. Bakt., I Abt., Orig., 154, 1949, 65) 

 in wells of waterworks near Berlin. 



Habitat: Widely distributed iniron-bear- 

 ing waters. 



Genus VIII. Siderococcus Dorff, 1934. 

 (Die Eisenorganismen, Pflanzenforschung, Jena, Heft 16, 1934 9.) 



Si.de.ro.coc'cus. Gr. noun siderus iron; Gr. noun coccus a berry, sphere; M.L. mas.n. 

 Siderococcus iron coccus. 



Cells cocciform and of small size. Lack a gelatinous capsule. Not encrusted with iron 

 compounds; these are deposited entirely outside of the cells. 



The type species is Siderococcus limoniticus Dorff. 



1. Siderococcus limoniticus Dorff, 

 1934. (Die Eisenorganismen, Pflanzenfor- 

 schung, Jena, Heft 16, 1934, 9.) 



li.mo.ni'ti.cus. Gr. noun limon meadow, 

 bog; M.L. noun limonitum limonite, a min- 

 eral, ferrous iron o.xide; ALL. adj. limon- 

 iticus of limonite. 



Cocci 0.2 to 0.5 micron in diameter. No 

 evident capsule. Utilize inorganic iron 

 compounds and deposit them outside of 

 the cells. 



In liquid cultures, the cells produce, on 

 a glass slide, a sharply marked zone beneath 



the surface in which iron compounds are 

 deposited on the slide. When the iron com- 

 pounds are dissolved with dilute HCl, very 

 tiny cocci are left on the slide. 



Source: Isolated from limonite deposits 

 in a bay of Teufelsee near Freienwalde, 

 Austria. Also found in Russian and Swedish 

 iron ore deposits as well as in Java, Sumatra 

 and Borneo. 



Habitat : Widely distributed in swamps 

 and lakes where limonite deposits are 

 forming. 



