This is an intriguing creature for a one celled animal. Besides being able to perform all the functions of eating, breathing, moving, reproducing and excreting waste, it presents fascinating, almost artistic, faces. The shape of the mouth opening is not circular or oval but contains indentations for reasons unknown, lined with constantly moving cilia for directing food into its mouth. This specimen appears to have just consumed and digested a nice sized meal. The circular marks along the Stentor's inside tube are food vacuoles, where the ingested meals are captured and digested. With several of these "stomachs", the Stentor can enjoy several meals at once - gluttony at a primitive level!. Back To Image Index Page