Myoschiston
Myoschiston Precht, 1935 (ref. ID; 1248, 2014)
Class Oligohymenophora: Subclass Peritricha: Order Peritrichida: Suborder Sessilina (ref. ID; 2014)
Family Zoothamniidae (ref. ID; 1248)
[ref. ID; 2014]
Colonial. Inverted bell-shaped zooids borne upon a branched stalk. Most of the stalk contractile and contraction takes place in a zigzag fashion. The central trunk of the stalk without a myoneme and therefore non-contractile. A continuous myoneme is present in all the branches so all branches can contract simultaneously on a non-contractile central trunk.
The genus is most easily confused with Zoothamnium and Entziella in which the continuous myoneme permeates the complete stalk. Zoothamnium and Myoschiston have lipped peristomes, that of Entziella is not lipped. The genus also closely resembles Craspedomyoschiston which has a lorica-like structure around the central trunk.
Quote; Colin R. Curds, Michael A. Gates and David McL. Roberts "British and other freshwater ciliated protozoa Part II Ciliophora: Oligohymenophora and Polyhymenophora" Cambridge University Press, 1983 (ref. ID; 2014)