Opercularia ampluscolonia is a species of fresh water, colonial, sessiline peritrich ciliate. This species produces a branched stalk that is often delicately striate in a longitudinal direction. There can be more than ninety-seven zooids per branched stalk. Zooids reproduce asexually and form dense clusters at the ends of each branch. This filter-feeding protist inhabits ponds in Mendocino County, California.
References
http://starcentral.mbl.edu/microscope/portal.php?pagetitle=classification&BLOCKID=9&CHILDID=3394 Operculariidae - Encyclopedia of Life Opercularia - The Taxonomicon
External links http://starcentral.mbl.edu/eutree_workshop/protistiary/index.htm Microbiology Microbes Bacteria Information and Links - Microbes.info Microbial Life - Educational Resources micro*scope - version 6.0 - March, 2006 | Wayback Machine