Ordo Suctorida

Claparède and Lachmann, 1858

Ingestatory suctorial tentacles multiple (few to many, rarely none), with numerous microtubules, arranged peripherally, and haptocysts distally at tips. Mature form usually sedentary and without cilia. Often with noncontractile stalk. Swarmers produced by some mode of budding generally bear cilia but not tentacles or stalk. Without cytoproct. Conjugation frequently total with unequal conjugants. Body often of conspicuous size, attached to variety of substrata. Widespread, predominantly symphorionts on diverse marine and freshwater organisms, some endocommensals in hosts ranging from ciliates to vertebrates.

Suborder Endogenina
Family Acinetidae

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