Stentor (Protozoan) Movies

Stentor Video No. 1 - A stentor juggles an amoeba; under phase contrast illumination at a magnification of 100x with a playing time of 42.9 seconds. Choose a playback format that matches your connection speed: 28.8k (modem), 56.6k (modem), or T1/Cable/DSL, or download this video clip in MPEG format (17.8 MB).

Stentor Video No. 2 - An overview along the length of a feeding stentor shows the beating cilia that cover its outer membrane and how it attaches itself to pond debris; under phase contrast illumination at a magnification of 100x with a playing time of 44.0 seconds. Choose a playback format that matches your connection speed: 28.8k (modem), 56.6k (modem), or T1/Cable/DSL, or download this video clip in MPEG format (18.4 MB).

Stentor Video No. 3 - Small organisms or particles are tossed about by the currents created by the beating cilia of a feeding Stentor; under phase contrast illumination at a magnification of 100x with a playing time of 5.3 seconds. Choose a playback format that matches your connection speed: 28.8k (modem), 56.6k (modem), or T1/Cable/DSL, or download this video clip in MPEG format (2.26 MB).

Stentor Video No. 4 - A stentor emerges from its hiding place and begins to feed; under phase contrast illumination at a magnification of 100x with a playing time of 13.4 seconds. Choose a playback format that matches your connection speed: 28.8k (modem), 56.6k (modem), or T1/Cable/DSL, or download this video clip in MPEG format (5.63 MB).

Also known as the "trumpet animalcule," Stentor belongs to the class Spirotrichea in the phylum Ciliophora. They are some of the largest protozoans known and some species can be up to two millimeters (0.08 inch) long. Oftentimes, they are larger than many microscopic multicellular organisms such as rotifers and water fleas, and have been known to eat smaller members of these groups.