portrait

Description:

Euplotes (you-ploe-tees) a hypotrich ciliate, with an anterior adoral zone of membranelles forming a collar and lapel leading down to the cytostome which is midway down the cell and on the ventral side. It is a hypotrich ciliate and uses cirri (aggregates of ciliate, sometimes as many as 50 or more) to walk against the substrate. Identification is approximate as the full identification requires that cells be silver-stained and the location of each cirrus be mapped out. DIfferential interference contrast.