The Vorticella is a protist (protozoan) and belongs to the Phyllum Ciliophora. It is a very interesting, stalked ciliate with an inverted bell shape. The stalk contains a contractile fibril called a myoneme. When stimulated, it shortens, causing the stalk to coil like a spring.

Vorticella usually anchor themselves to small particles of material however, it is not uncommon to see them free swimming. When they undergo fission, they split along the longitudinal axis in a process called budding. When they finally split apart, one keeps the myoneme and the other free swims away and grows its own. The main purpose for the cilia at the top is to sweep food down into the gullet.

There are over 100 different species of Vorticella.