Ciliates
Coleps
Coleps (armoured ciliate)
A small barrel-shaped ciliate covered in rows of plates, so it looks like a tiny pineapple or barrel.
What to look for
- Barrel shape with a regular pattern of plates under the surface.
- A few short spines at the rear end in many species.
- Often in groups, swarming over a dead or injured organism and feeding on it.
Size in the field
Small: a little dot at 100×; the plates are only clear at 400×.
Where to find it
Ponds and ditches, often where other organisms are dying.
Clips 0
No clip of this group is on the site yet. The description above is enough to check your own observation.