Oligotrich Explained
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.
Further reading
- Xiaofeng. Lin. Zhenzhen. Yi. Jiqiu. Li. Taxonomy, morphology and phylogeny of three new oligotrich ciliates (Protozoa, Ciliophora, Oligotrichia) from southern China. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. Dec 2013. 63. Pt 12. 4805–17. 10.1099/ijs.0.052878-0. 24096352. 21069886 .
- Song. Wen. Li. Jiamei. Liu. Weiwei. Jiang. Jiamei. Al-Rasheid. Khaled. Hu. Xiaozhong. 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. March 2013. 63. Pt 3. 1179–1191. 10.1099/ijs.0.048314-0. 23291887.
- Van Wichelen. Jeroen. Johansson. Liselotte S.. Vanormelingen. Pieter. Declerck. Steven A. J.. Lauridsen. Torben L.. Planktonic ciliate community structure in shallow lakes of lowland Western Europe. European Journal of Protistology. November 2013. 49. 4. 538–51. 10.1016/j.ejop.2013.06.001. 23890772. 20.500.11755/c27869ab-00e0-4148-9733-88498abec5d9. free. 2024-05-14. 2017-08-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20170829071313/https://pure.knaw.nl/portal/en/publications/planktonic-ciliate-community-structure-in-shallow-lakes-of-lowland-western-europe(c27869ab-00e0-4148-9733-88498abec5d9).html. live.
- Chiang. Kuo-Ping. Lin. Chiu-Yi. Lee. Chung-Hsien. Shiah. Fuh-Kwo. Chang. Jeng. 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. 2003. 50. 6–7. 1279–1293. 10.1016/S0967-0645(03)00023-7. 2024-05-14. 2023-09-28. https://web.archive.org/web/20230928025525/http://ntur.lib.ntu.edu.tw//handle/246246/174387. live.
- Grattepanche. Jean-David. Santoferrara. Luciana. Andrade. Jessica. Distribution and diversity of oligotrich and choreotrich ciliates assessed by morphology and DGGE in temperate coastal waters. Aquatic Microbial Ecology. 2014. 71. 3. 211–21. 10.3354/ame01675. free.