Oligotrich

Oligotrichs
Laboea strobila
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Clade:	Diaphoretickes
Clade:	SAR
Clade:	Alveolata
Phylum:	Ciliophora
Class:	Spirotrichea
Subclass:	Oligotrichia Bütschli 1887
Typical orders
Halteriida Strombidiida

The oligotrichs are a group of ciliates, included among the spirotrichs. They have prominent oral cilia, which are arranged as a collar and lapel, in contrast to the choreotrichs where they form a complete circle. The body cilia are reduced to a girdle and ventral cilia. In Halteria and its relatives, they form bristles or cirri; however these forms may be closer relatives of the stichotrichs than of other oligotrichs. These organisms are very common in plankton communities, especially in marine systems. Usually found in concentrations of about 1 per ml, they are the most important herbivores in the sea, the first link in the food chain.

• 
  Oligotrich ciliate, probably Strombidium
• 
  Halteria sp.

Further reading

• Xiaofeng, Lin; Zhenzhen, Yi; Jiqiu, Li (Dec 2013). "Taxonomy, morphology and phylogeny of three new oligotrich ciliates (Protozoa, Ciliophora, Oligotrichia) from southern China". International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. 63 (Pt 12): 4805–17. doi:10.1099/ijs.0.052878-0. PMID 24096352. S2CID 21069886.
• Song, Wen; Li, Jiamei; Liu, Weiwei; Jiang, Jiamei; Al-Rasheid, Khaled; Hu, Xiaozhong (March 2013). "Taxonomy, morphology and molecular systematics of three oligotrich ciliates, including a description of Apostrombidium parakielum spec. nov. (Ciliophora, Oligotrichia)". International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. 63 (Pt 3): 1179–1191. doi:10.1099/ijs.0.048314-0. PMID 23291887.
• Van Wichelen, Jeroen; Johansson, Liselotte S.; Vanormelingen, Pieter; Declerck, Steven A. J.; Lauridsen, Torben L. (November 2013). "Planktonic ciliate community structure in shallow lakes of lowland Western Europe". European Journal of Protistology. 49 (4): 538–51. doi:10.1016/j.ejop.2013.06.001. hdl:20.500.11755/c27869ab-00e0-4148-9733-88498abec5d9. PMID 23890772.
• Chiang, Kuo-Ping; Lin, Chiu-Yi; Lee, Chung-Hsien; Shiah, Fuh-Kwo; Chang, Jeng (2003). "The coupling of oligotrich ciliate populations and hydrography in the East China Sea: spatial and temporal variations". Deep-Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography. 50 (6–7): 1279–1293. doi:10.1016/S0967-0645(03)00023-7.
• Grattepanche, Jean-David; Santoferrara, Luciana; Andrade, Jessica (2014). "Distribution and diversity of oligotrich and choreotrich ciliates assessed by morphology and DGGE in temperate coastal waters". Aquatic Microbial Ecology. 71 (3): 211–21. doi:10.3354/ame01675.