Genus Thecacineta Collin, 1909

Diagnosis. Marine suctorian ciliates usually with a sac-like loricate cell body. Lorica either ribbed with a series of transverse annular ridges or smooth. Clavate tentacles grouped at the upper end of the body. Reproduction generally vermigemmic with formation of lateral vermiform protomit (tomit that bounds with parental cell).

Remarks. Collin (1909) proposed the genus Thecacineta: it was described with a sac-like body fully covered by a lorica. Later, Matthes (1956) redescribed the genus and proposed the new genus Loricophrya Matthes, 1956 owing to an unknown mode of budding, and included several species of Thecacineta Collin, 1909 into the new genus together with the type species Thecacineta parva Schulz, 1932: that was accepted by Curds (1987). After Dovgal (2002), 23 species are listed in the Thecacineta genus.