Those tree animals can be found around the globe, mainly in freshwater ponds and lakes but are also used in sewage treatment. A couple of marine species have also been found! Carchesium are cousins with Vorticella, which are both Peritrich ciliates, and share many characteristics: they’re both mainly sessile, possess an elongated contractile stalk, are bell shaped and eat lots of bacteria. Carchesium possess lots of tiny cilia creating a water vortex drawing food particles toward the colony. They usually eat bacteria, phytoplankton and debris that are floating around them.