Calyptotricha pleuronemoides is described by Kahl as a rare species, of which he himself found only a few specimens. In my sampling sites Simmelried and Ulmisried I find it regularly in floating plants. The species is clearly identifiable because the ciliate builds a bulbous, transparent case, which is about 50 µm long. The ciliate itself is 22 – 35 long according to my measurements. However, this contradicts the data of Kahl, who gives a length of 85 µm for the lorica and “consistently 50 µm” for the ciliate. Whether or not the size of the specimens varies depending on the sampling site remains to be established. The loricae are usually attached to algal filaments. However, for observation at high magnifications, it is best to use the floating coverslip technique. Coverslips are carefully placed on the water surface of samples in which Calyptotricha pleuronemoides is present, where they float. After some days often some specimens of Calyptotricha pleuronemoides have settled on the coverslips. The loricae are then positioned  immediately alongside the coverslip and can be easily observed without foreign bodies in the specimen.

The ciliate generates a continuous flow of water through the lorica by the constant activity of the sail-like undulating membrane. This draws in bacteria, flagellates, and small algae on which Calyptotricha pleuronemoides feeds. The movement of the undulating membrane also sets the ciliate into constant rotation.