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Specimen
069
Eupoletes are roughly ovoid ciliates, distinguised by their two long tufts of hairs. Euplotes move and feed with the help of compound ciliary organelles called "cirri," made up of thick tufts of cilia sparsely distributed on the cell. Strong cirri on the ventral surface of the cell enable Euplotes to walk or crawl on submerged detritus and vegetation. All species of Euplotes have a group of stiff bristles (caudal cirri), which protrude from the posterior of the cell. |