Stentor coeruleus

Phylum: Ciliophora

Class: Heterotrichea

Order: Heterotrichida

Family: Stentoridae

Genus: Stentor

Species: S. coeruleus

 

Stentor coeruleus is a protist in the family Stentoridae which is characterized by being a very large ciliate that measures 0.5 to 2 millimetres when fully extended.

 

S. 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. It has the ability to contract into a ball through the contraction of its many myonemes.

 

Stentor coeruleus is known for its regenerative abilities. When this organism is cut in half, each half is able to regenerate a cell that has its normal anatomy provided that each cut part includes some of the macro-nucleus. It feeds by means of cilia that carry food into the gullet.

 

S. coeruleus is capable of sexual reproduction, or conjugation, but primarily reproduces asexually by binary fission.

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