Euplotes is a Hypotrich ciliate, which means that it possesses large clumps of fused cilia called cirri. In hypotrichs, the cirri are mostly restricted to the ventral side of the cell. Visible on the edge of the cell highest in the photo is a sheet of cilia called the AZM, or Adoral Zone of Membranelles. This sheet is also of fused cilia that operate in synchrony, often creating a feeding current in which food is sucked in and discards are channeled out.
