Tintinnid
Dictyocysta mitra
The Tintinniden ( Tintinnida ) are marine (rarely living in fresh and brackish water) ciliates ( ciliates ) and belong to the zooplankton. The 15 families of this order include more than 1000 kinds.
Features
As a special feature, they have a goblet - shaped pitcher to Lorica ( outer shell ) of organic material (proteins), which also contains mineral components in some species. Only such forms are found as microfossils in sedimentary rocks, while the purely organic body of the most representative are the very best receive in Konservatlagerstätten.
The housing of the Tintinniden is wabriger design and consists of gelatinous or chitinähnlichem material.
Ecology
The 0.002 to 0.64 mm ciliates feed mainly on diatoms and autotrophic flagellates nannoplanktischen. With this diet, they form an important link for the transfer of organic matter between the trophic levels of the food chain between bacteria and larger zooplankton ( microbial loop).