All organisms in this phylum are ciliates, meaning they posses hair-like cilia at some point in their lives. Cilia are used for locomotion or food acquisition. All ciliates are heterotrophes (do not make their own food). Organisms in this phylum are very fast for their size; if you see something moving on the slide too fast to identify it is usually a ciliate.

class of protozoa having cilia or hairlike appendages on part or all of the surface during some part of the life cycle