Global InformationCondylostoma information
| Condylostoma | |
|---|---|
| |
| Condylostoma patens | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota
|
| (unranked): | SAR
|
| (unranked): | Alveolata
|
| Phylum: | Ciliophora
|
| Class: | Heterotrichea
|
| Order: | Heterotrichida
|
| Family: | Condylostomatidae
|
| Genus: | Condylostoma Bory de Saint Vincent, 1826
|
Condylostoma is a genus of unicellular ciliate protists, belonging to the class Heterotrichea.
Condylostoma is a genus of heterotrichous made up of large ciliated cells. The genus was discovered by Jean Baptiste Bory de Saint-Vincent in 1826, and over 20 species have been described since then. They are mostly marine, but some are found in freshwater lakes, and they have habitats around the globe. Morphologically they are large cells with a buccal groove that is about one third of their total length, and they are covered in cilia which grow out of their longitudinal rows of kineties. They have an adoral zone of membranelles (AZM) around the buccal groove to help capture food, but no cilia are present in the groove itself. Another feature of note is their altered genetic code. Condylostoma includes mostly benthic organisms that spend most of their time gliding along substrate looking for food. They can eat many smaller organisms between 5 μm and 40 μm in size and are the prey of zooplankton and insects. Not only do they have an important role in their food webs, but they can also cause issues for humans due to their impacts on coral reefs and bivalve larvae.