Description of Chonotrichia

Phyllopharyngeid ciliates, sedentary, sessile; somatic cilia only on walls of perioral funnel or cone-shaped region, which may be flared, or compressed; oral cilia absent or only as several inverted kineties next to cytostome; cytopharyngeal apparatus has microtubular ribbons (=phyllae), but no nematodesmata; heteromerous macronucleus; unequal division, tomite has 2 ventral fields of kineties, and a rear adhesive structure or podite that may form a non-contractile stalk; most are ectosymbionts on crustacean appendages.