Ciliate families

Vorticellidae is a family of ciliates belonging to the order Sessilida. They are colonial or unicellular organisms that are attached to a substrate via a stalk. The distinguishing characteristic of the family is a helical spasmoneme within the stalk that is contractile.

Parameciidae is a family of ciliates in the order Peniculida. Members of this family have differentiated anterior and posterior regions and are bounded by a hard but elastic pellicle. The family contains the genera Paramecium and Physanter.

Oxytrichidae is a family of ciliates in the order Sporadotrichida. Oxytrichidae are morphologically diverse, ranging in length from 40 micrometres (e.g. Oxytricha setigera) to 400 micrometers (e.g. Coniculostomum monilata). They are generally elliptical in shape with some very flexible while others are rigid. Like other ciliates, Oxytrichidae have two or more nuclei: a large macronucleus that generally stretches across much of the cell body, and one or more smaller micronuclei.

Philasteridae is a family of ciliates in the order Philasterida.

Uronematidae is a family of ciliates in the order Philasterida.

Halteriidae is a family of planktonic ciliates.

Tetrahymenidae is a family of ciliates.

Cryptochilidae is a family of marine ciliates in the order Philasterida.

Trichodinidae is a family of ciliates of the order Mobilida, class Oligohymenophorea. Members of the family are ectoparasites (or, alternatively, ectocommensals) of a wide variety of aquatic organisms, including fish, amphibians, hydrozoans, molluscs and crustaceans.

Balantidiidae is a biological family of chromists in the phylum Ciliophora. The family name comes from the type genus Balantidium.