Stentor sp.
Stentor
Tiny trumpet-shaped single-celled ciliates anchored to the Lakeshore roots, sweeping food into their wide ends with rings of beating cilia.
- Realm
- Freshwater
- Population
- Uncertain
- Primary biome
- Lakeshore
Overview
Tiny trumpet-shaped organisms anchored along the submerged roots in the Lakeshore. Stentor is a genus of single-celled ciliates, among the largest single cells in fresh water, that sweep food into the wide end of the trumpet with bands of beating cilia. Josue noticed them on March 19, 2026, first thinking they looked like rotifers, and identified them as Stentor in October 2026. The species is not identified.
Identity
- Common name: Stentor
- Alternate names: trumpet animalcule
- Scientific name: Stentor sp. (unidentified)
- Identification confidence: Likely at genus level, from Josue's identification of footage; species not assigned
- Uncertainty label: Likely
Taxonomy
- Kingdom: (Eukaryota; protist, not an animal)
- Phylum: Ciliophora (ciliates)
- Class: Heterotrichea
- Order: Heterotrichida
- Family: Stentoridae
- Genus: Stentor
- Species: (unidentified)
Natural History
Stentor are single-celled ciliates shaped like a trumpet or horn, often 0.5 to 2 mm long when extended, which makes them visible to the naked eye. They usually anchor the narrow end to plants, roots or debris and feed through the wide end, where a spiral band of cilia draws in bacteria, algae and small protists. They can contract into a ball when disturbed, detach and swim, and are common in still, plant-rich fresh water. Some species carry symbiotic green algae.
Ecological Role
In the Lakeshore water, Stentor are microbial filter feeders: they take in bacteria, algae and smaller protists from the water around the roots and are themselves food for small invertebrates. Their place in miniBIOTA's food web has not been observed directly.
miniBIOTA Evidence
Introduction context: No introduction is recorded. Stentor most likely arrived on plants, roots, water or other aquatic material.
Observation timeline:
- March 19, 2026: Tiny trumpet-shaped organisms on the submerged Lakeshore roots, alongside small crayfish; identified by Josue as Stentor on October 21, 2026.
Confirmed:
- Trumpet-shaped organisms attached to the Lakeshore roots on March 19, 2026
Inferred:
- Stentor identity at genus level, from Josue's identification of footage (Likely)
Unknown:
- Species and color form
- Population size, persistence and whether they occur in the Freshwater Lake
- What eats them in miniBIOTA
Identity & Origin
- Common Name
- Stentor
- Scientific Name
- Stentor sp.
- Realm
- Freshwater
- Biome
- Lakeshore
- Introduction Method
- Incidental hitchhiker
Population Dynamics
- Current Estimated Population
- A fringe of individuals on the Lakeshore roots on March 19, 2026; no count.
- Population Status
- Uncertain
- Date Last Observed
- March 19, 2026
Section Notes
First noticed on the submerged Lakeshore roots on March 19, 2026 and identified as Stentor by Josue on October 21, 2026. No count, trend or later sighting is recorded.
Trophic Ecology
- Trophic Level
- Primary Consumer
- Feeding Niche / Method
- Filter feeding with a spiral band of oral cilia (genus biology; not observed in miniBIOTA)
- Dietary Inputs
- Bacteria, algae and small protists (genus biology)
- Known Predators
- No predation on Stentor has been recorded in miniBIOTA.
Section Notes
Stentor draw bacteria, algae and smaller protists into the wide end of the cell with beating cilia. In miniBIOTA they are seen attached to submerged Lakeshore roots; feeding has not been observed directly.
Environmental Tolerances
- Flow / Aeration Preference
- Still or slow water (genus biology)
Section Notes
Found attached to roots in the Lakeshore's still fresh water. Tolerance ranges are not known for an unidentified species.
Life Cycle & Reproduction
- Reproductive Strategy
- Asexual division, with conjugation between cells (genus biology)
- System Reproduction Status
- Unknown
Section Notes
No division or life stages have been observed in miniBIOTA.
Ecological Role & Symbiosis
- Ecological Role
- Microbial filter feeder attached to submerged roots
- Microhabitat Preference
- Submerged Lakeshore roots in still water
Habitat and role
Ecological role
Microbial filter feeder attached to submerged roots
Lives in
Shares habitat with
Biomes This Species Lives In
Follow this species across the habitats where it currently appears in the miniBIOTA biosphere.
