“Ophyroglena's life cycle is made up of 5 established stages, as well as a few additioal, though more rare, possibilities. The organism starts in it's theront stage, taking on an elongated shape as it swims freely about the microcosmos.... The Ophyroglena becomes more opaque as it transitions into its equivalent of adulthood: the trophont stage. But as trophont gives way to protomont... the protomont will begin to slow down. This is the protomont's time for change, and so it morphs into a tomont. As a tomont, the Ophyroglena... prepares to reproduce. Some Ophyroglena species form a division cyst, while others create and stay attached to a sticky substance instead. Whatever the venus, the result is the same: the tomont divides several times to produce anywhere from 4 to 8 smaller and round tomites. The tomites might form a chain that slowly rotates for a few hours until to separates into theronts, bringing the cycle full circle. In some cases, the tomont might enter what's been termed the "migratory stage", which is noted for the largeness of the microbe and agitated movement before dividing into tomites, or in rarer cases, forming a cyst.”
Journey to the Microcosmos- Ophyroglena: The Tricky Transforming Ciliate
Images Originally Captured by Jam’s Germs