Domain Eukarya Family Stentoridae Rank Species | Genus Stentor Phylum Ciliophora Order Heterotrich | |
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Similar Stentor, Heterotrich, Blepharisma, Spirostomum, Blepharisma japonicum | ||
Stentor coeruleus
Stentor coeruleus is a protist of the Stentor genus. It belongs to the Stentoridae family which is characterized by being a very large ciliate that measures 0.5 to 2 millimetres when fully extended.
Contents
Stentor coeruleus specifically appears as a very large trumpet. It contains a macronucleus that looks like a string of beads that are contained within a ciliate that is blue to blue-green in color. Being that it has many myonemes, it has the ability to contract into a ball. It has the ability to swim while both fully extended or contracted.
Eating is accomplished using cilia that carry food into the ciliate's gullet.
DNA
The genome sequence revealed 2 remarkable aspects. The genetic code is the "universal" code, which is somewhat unusual for ciliates. Also, the introns are unusually small, only 15 or 16 nucleotides long.
Reproduction
Stentor coeruleus are capable of sexual reproduction, or conjugation, but primarily reproduce asexually by binary fission.
