Planktonic, freshwater lakes and ponds, also in brackish lagoons and estuaries; perennial. Feeding on algae, ciliates and small rotifers.
AFR, AUS, NEA, NEO, ORI, PAL.
Mediterranean ‒ Italy, Tyrrhenian Sea, Lago di Fondi (Apolloni, 1934); France, Camargue (De Ridder, 1960, 1961); Egypt, Mex Bay, Dekhaila Harbour (Abdel-Aziz, 2000), Abu Qir Bay (Zakaria, 2007), Lake Borullus (Dumont & El Shabrawy, 2008), Lake Manzala (Ramdani et al., 2009).
Thalassic outside Mediterranean ‒ White Sea: R.F., Kola Peninsula, Molochnaya Bay (Vandysh, 2009). NW Atlantic: U.S.A., Chesapeake Bay (Chesapeake Bay Program, 2007). North Sea: Germany, Elbe Estuary (Holst et al., 1998); The Netherlands, Ijsselmeer (Wibaut-Isebree Moens, 1954); Belgium, Nieuwpoort (Gillard, 1950), Ostend harbour (De Ridder, 1959a), Kieldrecht, Grote Geule (De Ridder, 1959c), Bruges (De Ridder & Verheye, 1980), Schelde estuary (Azémar et al., 2010). English Channel: U.K., Weymouth harbour (De Ridder, 1959b), W English Channel (Bērziņš, 1960). Baltic s. l.: W, S, E Baltic Sea (Telesh et al., 2009); Germany, E Baltic (Remane, 1929), Hiddensee (Schwarz, 1955/56); Finland, Gulf of Bothnia and Finland (Bērziņš, 1960); R.F., Gulf of Finland, Neva Bay (Telesh, 1995). Black Sea: Romania (Rudescu, 1961). NE Atlantic: Senegal, Basse Cassamance (De Ridder, 1983). SW Atlantic: Brazil, Pernambuco, Suape estuarine lagunar complex (Neumann-Leitão et al., 1992).
DISTRIBUTION ‒ AFR, AUS, NEA, NEO, ORI, PAL.
Mediterranean ‒ Italy, Tyrrhenian Sea, Lago di Fondi (Apolloni, 1934); France, Camargue (De Ridder, 1960, 1961); Egypt, Mex Bay, Dekhaila Harbour (Abdel-Aziz, 2000), Abu Qir Bay (Zakaria, 2007), Lake Borullus (Dumont & El Shabrawy, 2008), Lake Manzala (Ramdani et al., 2009).
Thalassic outside Mediterranean ‒ White Sea: R.F., Kola Peninsula, Molochnaya Bay (Vandysh, 2009). NW Atlantic: U.S.A., Chesapeake Bay (Chesapeake Bay Program, 2007). North Sea: Germany, Elbe Estuary (Holst et al., 1998); The Netherlands, Ijsselmeer (Wibaut-Isebree Moens, 1954); Belgium, Nieuwpoort (Gillard, 1950), Ostend harbour (De Ridder, 1959a), Kieldrecht, Grote Geule (De Ridder, 1959c), Bruges (De Ridder & Verheye, 1980), Schelde estuary (Azémar et al., 2010). English Channel: U.K., Weymouth harbour (De Ridder, 1959b), W English Channel (Bērziņš, 1960). Baltic s. l.: W, S, E Baltic Sea (Telesh et al., 2009); Germany, E Baltic (Remane, 1929), Hiddensee (Schwarz, 1955/56); Finland, Gulf of Bothnia and Finland (Bērziņš, 1960); R.F., Gulf of Finland, Neva Bay (Telesh, 1995). Black Sea: Romania (Rudescu, 1961). NE Atlantic: Senegal, Basse Cassamance (De Ridder, 1983). SW Atlantic: Brazil, Pernambuco, Suape estuarine lagunar complex (Neumann-Leitão et al., 1992).
Body saccate to cylindrical, never with humps. Vitellarium spherical, usually eight nuclei. Pedal glands absent. Protonephridium with four flame cells.
Trophi: Rami without apophysis at inner margin basally; distally widening, with series of small teeth at inner margin.
Length females 500‒1500 µm, males 200‒500 µm, trophi 60‒85 µm.
