THIGMOTRICH

any protozoan of the ciliate order Thigmotrichida, found living parasitically in and about the gills or in the mantle cavity of bivalve mollusks. On the anterior part of the cell are long cilia (hairlike processes) for attaching to the host. The mouth opening is posterior; in some genera, such as Goniocoma and Holocoma, it has been replaced by an anterior suctorial tentacle. The taxonomy of the Thigmotrichida was undergoing revision in the late 20th century.