Pelagic spirotrich ciliate cell with an ingested diatom chain (the end of the diatom chain is protruding from the oral end of the ciliate). Sampled from an ice edge bloom, Bering Sea, April 2008. Pelagic ciliates are thought to only ingest small sized prey, but similar examples of ciliates ingesting large diatoms have been described in European and Brazilian coastal waters. Lugol fixed/light microscopy.