Collotheca feeding

This video shows the rotifer Collotheca actively feeding on some small green flagellates. These are beautiful organisms to see. In this rotifer, the corona has lobes from which setae emerge; these help guide prey to the mouth (vestibulum) of the rotifer. It is interesting to watch this rotifer as it "decides" whether the prey in the vestibulum is what it wants to eat. Once the decision is made, the prey seems to be quickly shunted into the mastax where the food is processed. The ability of the rotifer to contract and then re-extend is also shown.