Members of order Plagiopylida (Class Plagiopylea) are known to be characterized by an ovoidal, often elongated, body shape, with varius degree of dorsoventral flattening and by their peculiar oral opening, an oblique slit in the apical part of the cell.

To date, the family Plagiopylidae comprises four genera: Plagiopyla, Lechriopyla, Pseudoplagiopyla and Paraplagiopyla. Despite its cosmopolitan distribution, only a few species currently comprise the genus Plagiopyla, and their data are often incomplete,

Ciliates belonging to the class Plagiopylea are obligate anaerobes that are often neglected due to their cryptic lifestyles, difficulty of observation, and overall under-sampling. Here, we investigate two species, namely Trimyema claviforme Kahl, 1933

Ciliates belonging to the class Plagiopylea are obligate anaerobes that are often neglected due to their cryptic lifestyles, difficulty of observation, and overall under-sampling. Here, we investigate two species, namely Trimyema claviforme Kahl, 1933