Ciliates
Walking ciliates
Hypotrichs and relatives (Euplotes, Stylonychia, Oxytricha)
Flat ciliates that scurry over the bottom on stiff tufts of fused cilia (cirri), stop, and dart off in a new direction.
What to look for
- Flattened, oval body; seen from the side it is thin, from above broad.
- Cirri on the underside work like little legs; a row of membranelles forms a wide mouth area on one side.
- Movement is jerky: walking, a sudden reverse, a quick turn.
Size in the field
Roughly a Paramecium's size, so a tenth to a fifth of the field at 100×.
Where to find it
On the bottom of the sample and on detritus, especially in older cultures.
0:10
0:23
0:23
0:20
0:49