The cell body of
Bursaria is scoop-shaped, and can be up to 1 mm long. Their oral region is crescent-shaped, and there is a band of
membranelles (compound structures composed of multiple cilia) leading into the mouth. They live in the
plankton of freshwater environments and ingest other protists, including algae and other ciliates.
Bursaria are the largest-sized colpodean ciliates. ==Systematics==