The plagiopylids are a small order of ciliate protozoa, including a few forms common in anaerobic habitats. The body cilia are dense, and arise from monokinetids with an entirely unique ultrastructure. One or two rows of dikinetids run into the oral cavity, which takes the form of a groove, with a deep tube lined by oral cilia leading to the mouth. The order was introduced by Small & Lynn in 1985, who treated it as a subclass of Oligohymenophorea. Since then they tend to be treated as an independent class, possibly affiliated with the Colpodea.
Of the free-living forms, the best known are the plagiopylid ciliates that live in the anaerobic sulfide-rich sediments of marine wetlands (Fenchel et al.
The importance of plagiopylids in recycling nutrients to aerobic zones of wetlands is potentially great.
Because of the small size of protozoa, their short generation time, and (for some species) ease of maintaining them in the laboratory, ecologists have used protozoan populations and communities to investigate competition and predation.
U.K. Berger, J., Lynn, D.H. Hydrogenosome-methanogen assemblages in the echinoid endocommensal plagiopylid ciliates, Lechriopyla mystax Lynch, 1930 and Plagiopyla minuta Powers, 1933.
Berger, J., Lynn, D.H. Somatic and oral cortical ultrastructure of the plagiopylid ciliates Lechriopyla mystax Lynch, 1930 and Plagiopyla minuta Powers, 1983.
Iftode, F., Fryd Versavel, G., Lynn, D.H. New details of the oral structures of Colpidium and Turaniella and transfer of the genus Colpidium to the Turaniellidae Didier, 1971.
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