The organism described is equipped with a protective lorica that often features numerous spines. The color of the lorica can range from yellowish to dark brown due to the presence of ferric hydroxide and a brown manganic compound. It has a single long flagellum extending from the anterior aperture, often surrounded by a thickened collar. Chromatophores can be either two curved plates or numerous disc-shaped structures, and small paramylum bodies, as well as a stigma and pyrenoid, are present. Reproduction occurs through fission, where one daughter cell retains the lorica and flagellum while the other forms a new lorica. Cysts are frequently produced, and this organism is typically found in freshwater environments. The morphology of the lorica is a key taxonomic feature used to distinguish between different species, varieties, and forms, with various types of surface ornamentations described in scientific literature.