Fauna
Invertebrate

Paramecium bursaria

Paramecium bursaria

Also known as Green Paramecium

Green paramecia glide through quiet waters propelled by coordinated waves of thousands of beating cilia. Packed with hundreds of symbiotic green algae in their cytoplasm, they harness solar energy while simultaneously vacuuming up bacteria through an expansive oral groove. Their phototactic behavior steers them toward sunlit patches, maximizing algal photosynthesis in exchange for carbon and oxygen.

MicroscopicAquaticSymbiotic
Paramecium bursaria reference
(c) Anatoly Mikhaltsov, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preyEscherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogenes, Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Predators
  • Didinium nasutum
  • Amoeba proteus
  • Daphnia pulex
ThreatsChemical contamination, heavy metal pollution, and extreme eutrophication
HabitatsFreshwater ponds, quiet lakes, brackish marshes, and slow streams
Life spanSeveral days per division cycle; indefinite lineage via binary fission
Classification
  1. OrderPeniculida
  2. FamilyParameciidae
  3. GenusParamecium
  4. SpeciesParamecium bursaria
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Harmless single-celled organism; safe to observe under a microscope.
Responsible observation
  • Sampling: Collect water from sunlit edges of ponds rich in decaying vegetation.
  • Microscopy: Add a drop of methyl cellulose to slide preparations to slow their rapid swimming.
  • Culturing: Maintain cultures under moderate indirect light to support endosymbiotic green algae.
Related species
Help improve the field guideSomething wrong?

Report a name, category, or profile issue for review.

Checking your Fauna account…