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.

Genera

The following genera are recognised in the family Oxytrichidae:

  • Subfamily Oxytrichinae Ehrenberg, 1838 Allotricha Sterki, 1878 Australocirrus Blatterer & Foissner, 1988 Cyrtohymena Foissner, 1989 Notohymena Blatterer & Foissner, 1988 Onychodromopsis Stokes, 1887 Oxytricha Bory de Saint-Vincent, 1824 Parurosoma Gelei, 1954 Pseudostrombidium Horváth, 1933 Rubrioxytricha Berger, 1999 Tachysoma Stokes, 1887 Urosoma Kowalewskiego, 1882 Urosomoida Hemberger in Foissner, 1982
  • Subfamily Stylonychinae Berger & Foissner, 1997 Coniculostomum Njiné, 1979 Histriculus Corliss, 1960 Laurentiella Dragesco & Njine, 1971 Onychodromus Stein, 1859 Parastylonychia Dragesco, 1963 Patersoniella Foissner, 1987 Pleurotricha Stein, 1859 Rigidocortex Berger, 1999 Rigidohymena Berger, 2011 Steinia Diesing, 1866 Sterkiella Foissner, Blatterer, Berger & Kohmann, 1991 Stylonychia Ehrenberg, 1830
  • Genera incertae sedis Amphisiellides Foissner, 1988 Ancystropodium Fauré-Fremiet, 1907 Apoamphisiella Foissner, 1997 Gastrostyla Engelmann, 1862 Hemigastrostyla Song & Wilbert, 1997 Kerona Müller, 1786 Neokeronopsis Warren, Fyda & Song, 2002 Paraurostyla Borror, 1972 Parentocirrus Voß, 1997 Ponturostyla Jankowski, 1989 Pseudouroleptus Hemberger, 1985 Territricha Berger & Foissner, 1988 Urostyloides Shi & He, 1989