Halteria

Halteria
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Clade: Diaphoretickes
Clade: SAR
Clade: Alveolata
Phylum: Ciliophora
Class: Oligotrichea
Order: Halteriida
Family: Halteriidae
Genus: Halteria
Species

H. grandinella
H. bifurcate
H. chorelligera
H. cirrifera
H. decemsulcata
H. geleiana
H. máxima
H. mínima
H. minuta
H. oblonga
H. ovata
H. verrucosa
H. viridis
H. vorax

Halteria, sometimes referred to as the jumping oligotrich, is a genus of common planktonic ciliates that are found in many freshwater environments. Halteria are easy to locate due to their abundance and distinctive behaviour with observations of Halteria potentially dating back to the 17th century and the discovery of microorganisms.[1] Over time more has been established about their morphology and behavior, which has led to many changes in terms of classification.

Species of Halteria can exist in both a trophic and an encysted form but are most commonly described in the trophic form.[2] Species of Halteria can be identified by their unique jumping movement which is enabled by an equatorial row of stiff cirri that beat in unison, allowing the organism to move very quickly backwards.[3]


Members of the genus Halteria are heterotrophic and serve as important bacterivores in the habitats they occupy as well as being preyed upon primarily by metazoans. One recent paper identified Halteria sp. as the first identified "virovore", an organism that can feed on virus.[4] The cells of Halteria are roughly dome shaped and in addition to the equatorial cirri, they possess a collar of cilia around the buccal opening used for feeding and locomotion.[3] The important ecological role played by Halteria as well as its unique locomotion strategy, makes Halteria a genus of interest in different areas of protistology research.

  1. ^ van Leeuwenhoek, A.P. (1677). "Observations, communicated to the publisher by Mr. Antony van Leewenhoeck, in a dutch letter of the 9th Octob. 1676. here English'd: concerning little animals by him observed in rain-well-sea-and snow water; as also in water wherein pepper had lain infused". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. 12 (133): 821–831. doi:10.1098/rstl.1677.0003.
  2. ^ Foissner, W.; Müller, H.; Agatha, S. (2007). "A comparative fine structural and phylogenetic analysis of resting cysts in oligotrich and hypotrich Spirotrichea (Ciliophora)". European Journal of Protistology. 43 (4): 295–314. doi:10.1016/j.ejop.2007.06.001. PMC 2848329. PMID 17766095.
  3. ^ a b Patterson, D.J.; Hedley, S. (1996). Freeliving Freshwater Protozoa. CRC Press. ISBN 9781840765847.
  4. ^ DeLong, John P.; Van Etten, James L.; Al-Ameeli, Zeina; Agarkova, Irina V.; Dunigan, David D. (2023-01-03). "The consumption of viruses returns energy to food chains". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 120 (1): e2215000120. Bibcode:2023PNAS..12015000D. doi:10.1073/pnas.2215000120. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 9910503. PMID 36574690. S2CID 255219850.