The organism is enclosed in a protective lorica, often adorned with numerous spines. The lorica ranges in color from yellowish to dark brown, due to the presence of ferric hydroxide infused with a brown manganic compound. It features a single long flagellum extending from an anterior aperture, often rimmed with a thickened collar. Chromatophores are either two curved plates or numerous disc-shaped structures, and there are small paramylum bodies, a stigma, and a pyrenoid within the cell. Reproduction occurs through fission, where one daughter cell retains the lorica and flagellum, while the other escapes to form a new lorica. Cysts are commonly formed as well. This organism is typically found in freshwater environments. The morphology of the lorica serves as a crucial taxonomic characteristic, distinguishing between species, varieties, and forms. Different types of ornamentation on the lorica, such as punctuations, spines, warts, and ridges, have been extensively described in taxonomic literature.