Family CINETOCHILIDAE Perty, 1852

Small to very small, flattened body, ovoid to ellipsoidal (sometimes looking very much like a baseball catcher's mitt!) in shape, with sparse ciliature limited to ventral surface plus one or more long caudal cilia; oral area, sometimes disproportionately large, midventral and much like Tetrahymena (or Dexiotricha, above) in its buccal ciliature; cytoproct occupies all of directormeridian area on foreshortened ventral surface of some species; widespread fresh-water polysaprobic and edaphic forms, with fewer species from brackish or marine habitats.

Cinetochilum Perty, 1849. Several species.
Platynematum Kahl, 1935 (for Platynema). Several species.
Pseudoplatynematum Bock, 1952. Few species.
Sathrophilus Corliss, 1960 (for Saprophilus). Several species.
Incertae sedis:
Colpodopsis Gourret & Roeser, 1888. Few species.