 Microscopic observations of live cells using established cultures revealed that "D. acuminata" uses a peduncle, extending from the flagellar pore, to extract the cell contents of the marine ciliate "M. rubra".After about 1 minute the trapped "M. rubra" becomes immobile after which the "D. acuminata" slowly consumes the ciliate, over 1–2 hours, filling its vacuoles with the ciliate's cytoplasm.The algal plastids are not destroyed by "D. acuminata" but use it for its own photosynthesis, thereby becoming an autotroph.