|
Specimen
045
A fully extended Stentor looks like a trumpet. At this stage, the Stentor likes to anchor itself by its holdfast and open its mouth for feeding. The rim of the trumpet is surrounded by a crown of cilia (vibrating hairs) which beat to produce a current that draws particles of food down into the mouth (cytostome). The mouth is connected to the gut (gullet). The 'trumpet' will contract if the Stentor is disturbed by contact with another organism. The Stentor will also contract into an oval or pear shape instead of the trumpet shape when moving. |