Opercularia (ciliate)

Opercularia
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Clade:	Sar
Clade:	Alveolata
Phylum:	Ciliophora
Class:	Oligohymenophorea
Order:	Sessilida
Family:	Operculariidae
Genus:	Opercularia Goldfuss, 1820

Opercularia is a genus of freshwater, colonial, sessiline peritrich ciliates. As consumers of free bacteria in the water, several species of Opercularia serve as important indicator organisms in the study of wastewater treatment ^[1] . Operculariids can be distinguished from other sessile peritrichs (many of which share very similar body plans) by their prominent, non-contractile stalk; peristome without lip; and elongate, horseshoe-shaped macronucleus ^[2] .

Etymology

The name Opercularia comes from the Latin opercularis, which means covered (with a lid). ^[3] This is in reference to their lid-like peristomal disk. ^[4]

Selected species

Selected species include: ^{[5] [6]}

• Opercularia allensi Stockes, 1887
• Opercularia coarctata Claparede & Lachmann, 1858
• Opercularia cylindrata Wrzesniowski, 1870
• Opercularia longigula Nenninger, 1948
• Opercularia minima Kahl, 1935
• Opercularia nutans (Ehrenberg, 1831) Stein, 1854
• Opercularia stenostoma Stein-D'Udekem

References

1. Kinner, Nancy (1983). A Study of the Microorganisms Inhabiting Rotating Biological Contactor Biofilms During Various Operating Conditions. University of New Hampshire, Durham. p. 303.
2. Curds, C. R., Gates, M. A., Roberts, D. M. L. (1983). British and other freshwater ciliated protozoa Part II Ciliophora: Oligohymenophora and Polyhymenophora. Cambridge University Press, for the Linnean Society of London and the Estuarine and Brackish-water Sciences Association.
3. "opercularis". Wiktionary. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
4. "Opercularia". Protist Information Server. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
5. Ouchiyama. "Opercularia Morphology". www.nies.go.jp. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
6. Xu, K.; Agatha, S. & Dolan, J. (2021). "Opercularia". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 14 February 2021.