Genus: Body form barrel-shaped; with regularly arranged ectoplasmic plates; cytostome at anterior end, surrounded by slightly longer cilia; often spinous projection at or near posterior end; one or more long caudal cilia (Kudo, 1966). Species: 40-65 μm long; 15-20 rows of platelets; three posterior spines (Kudo, 1966). 60 μm long, only two (?) posterior spines (How to know the protozoa, 1979).

Coleps hirtus, x 400, by Y. Tsukii
50 μm 100 μm 150 μm; x 400

Coleps hirtus Nitzsch, 1817 (or 1827?): 40-65 μm long; 15-20 rows of platelets; three spines (Kudo, 1966). 60 μm long, only two (?) posterior spines (How to know the protozoa, 1979); barrel shaped; 55-65 μm long; three spines at posterior; a single caudal cilium; each ectpasmic palte has 5 lateral teeth (Carey, 1992).

Coleps elongatus (Ehrenberg, 1830) Kahl, 1930: Cell body barrel-shaped but rather cylindrical, 65-80 μm long; a few spines at posterior end; two caudal cilia present; ectoplasmic paltes ornamented by 2 lateral teeth (Carey, 1992).

Coleps pulcher Spiegel, 1926: Cell body barrel-shaped or cylindrical; equatorial cleft absent; no caudal cilia; 80-100 μm long; both caudal and anterior spines present; peribuccal plates with small teeth; macronucleus large, spherical (Carey, 1992). (Müller) from Kudo, 1966
Nitzsch, 1827 from Carey, 1992
Nitzsch, 1817 from Colin R. Curds "British and other freshwater ciliated protozoa Part I Ciliophora: Kinetofragminophora"Cambridge University Press, 1982.