Description of Microthoracida

Nassophorean ciliates, small to medium-sized, usually less than 100 um long; few somatic kineties, separated by wide interkinetal spaces; usually three left oral polykinetids, not confined to oral cavity; right paroral dikinetid, variable (vestige always occurs in stomatogenesis); cyrtos small, with complete palisade of nematodesmata; trichocysts present.