Bursaria is a genus of ciliates in the class Colpodea. They are relatively large and feed on other protistsinfreshwater habitats.
| Bursaria | |
|---|---|
| |
| Bursaria ovata | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | |
| (unranked): | |
| (unranked): | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: |
Bursariomorphida
|
| Family: |
Bursariidae
|
| Genus: | Bursaria O. F. Müller, 1773 |
The cell body of Bursaria is scoop-shaped, and can be up to 1 mm long. Their oral region is crescent-shaped, and there is a band of membranelles (compound structures composed of multiple cilia) leading into the mouth. They live in the plankton of freshwater environments and ingest other protists, including algae and other ciliates.[1] Bursaria are the largest-sized colpodean ciliates.[2]
Bursaria is the sole genus in the family Bursariidae.[2] The genus was originally described by O. F. Müller in 1773, with B. hirundinella as the type species.[3] It was formerly classified as a heterotrich, but is now classified as a member of the class Colpodea, based on the development of its oral structures (stomatogenesis) and its ultrastructure.[2]
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