The organism described is equipped with a protective lorica that often features numerous spines, varying in color from yellowish to dark brown due to the presence of ferric hydroxide and a brown manganic compound. It possesses a single long flagellum protruding from the anterior aperture, often surrounded by a thickened collar. Chromatophores may consist of two curved plates or multiple disc-shaped structures, and small paramylum bodies are present alongside a stigma and pyrenoid. Reproduction occurs through fission, where one daughter cell retains the lorica and flagellum while the other forms a new lorica. Cyst formation is common, and the organism is typically found in freshwater habitats. The morphology of the lorica serves as a taxonomic characteristic, with variations in shape, size, color, and surface ornamentation used to differentiate species, varieties, and forms.