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Family EUPLOTIDAE Ehrenberg, 1838
Syns. Ploesconiidae,
Uronychiidae

Marginal cirri absent or greatly reduced in number; transverse and frontoventrals often tremendously developed, heavy, and very conspicuous; oral ciliature also prominent, usually extending more than half the length of the body; intercirral tracts of microtubules; kinetodesmata reported; many species, widely distributed, predominantly marine; Euplotes has been found in sea urchins, and Uronychia in mollusc mantle cavity.

[Discocephalus, a curious genus with an equally curious taxonomic history, is tentatively included here. Swedmarkia reminds one strongly of Gastrocirrhus, a member of the following family.]

Certesia Fabre-Domergue, 1885.
Few species.
Cytharoides Tuffrau, 1975.
Single species.
Diophrys Dujardin, 1841.
Many species.

Discocephalus Ehrenberg in Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1828
(syn. Polycoccon).
Several species.
Euplotes Ehrenberg, 1830
(syns. Ploesconia, possibly Crateromorpha?).
Very many (perhaps > 50) species.




Swedmarkia Dragesco, 1954.
Single species.
Uronychia Stein, 1859
(syn. Euronychia).
Several species.