What was the approximate size of the ciliate?

Most ciliates are microscopic in size, but a few get as large as 4 mm in length (e.g. Stentor). Cilia are small hair-like structures that cover most ciliates during some stage of their life cycle. Cilia means “eye lash”. The organisms may have different sized cilia.

Is Coleps sp algae?

Abstract. Coleps hirtus is a small common freshwater ciliate belonging to the protostomatid group, its body covered by calcified plates assembled to form an armor. Coleps feeds on bacteria, algae, flagellates, living and dead ciliates, animal and plant tissues.

How long is longest ciliate?

They are usually horn-shaped, and reach lengths of two millimeters; as such, they are among the biggest known extant unicellular organisms….Stentor (ciliate)

What kingdom is Coleps?

Protozoa

How big is a ciliate compared to a colpodean?

Ciliate species range in size from as little as 10 µm in some colpodeans to as much as 4 mm in length in some geleiids, and include some of the most morphologically complex protozoans. In most systems of taxonomy, ” Ciliophora ” is ranked as a phylum under any of several kingdoms, including Chromista, Protista or Protozoa.

What kind of body does a Coleps have?

Coleps. Coleps is a genus of ciliates in the class Prostomatea with barrel-shaped bodies and a test made of biomineralized plates.

What makes a Coleps a barrel shaped ciliate?

Coleps is a common holotrich ciliate in freshwater habitats, especially in situations where algae and other plant material has begun to decompose. Their characteristic barrel body shape is due to a semi-rigid pellicle of armoured plates composed of amorphous calcium carbonate.

How many species of ciliates are there in the world?

Ciliates are an important group of protists, common almost anywhere there is water — in lakes, ponds, oceans, rivers, and soils. About 3,500 species have been described, and the potential number of extant species is estimated at 30,000.