The hypotrichous ciliates are one of the three major groups of the spirotrichs (Euplotida, Oligotricha, Hypotricha). They are widely distributed in freshwater, in the sea, and in terrestrial habitats. Since several years, the hypotrichs are one of the most intensely investigated group of ciliates. The project purports the sixth and final part of the Monograph of the Hypotricha. Three volumes are already published in the Springer book series Monographiae Biologicae (MB; Editor H.J. Dumont & M.J.A. Werger), namely the Oxytrichidae (Berger 1999, MB 78: 1092 pages; not funded), the Urostyloidea (Berger 2006, MB 85: 1319 pp; FWF project 14778), and the Amphisiellidae and Trachelostylidae (Berger 2008, MB 88: 753 pp; APART project of the Austrian Academy of Sciences). Volume 4 , the Gonostomatidae and Kahliellidae (Berger 2010, MB 90: 757 pp, in press; FWF project 20569 [Gonostomatidae and a part of the Kahliellidae] and APART-project [part of the Kahliellidae]), is in press. The penultimate volume (the Uroleptidae and the Keronopsidae; FWF project 20569) is in progress and will be published in 2011.
Volume 6 of the Monograph of the Hypotricha will contain the genera not yet reviewed in volumes 1-5, that is, mainly the "twisted" taxa (e.g., Strongylidium, Spirofilum, Hypotrichidium). In addition, the last volume will comprise an updated key to all groups treated in volumes 1-6.
The project comprises the following points:
The critical revision of the available data comprises the major part of the project. The experience of the applicant (many publications about hypotrichs and other ciliates, inter alia, 15 books with more than 9300 printed pages) and comprehensive preliminary works (e.g., indexation of more than 6600 papers about hypotrichs to species level; making of an updated index to all names of hypotrichs at www.protozoology.com; making of a bibliography) simplify, respectively, are prerequisite to write such a comprehensive book series.
Additional investigations (morphology; cell division; phylogenetic analyses; molecular biological analyses in cooperation with Prof. Stoeck, University of Kaiserslautern) on some few species.
The monograph of the Hypotricha (in total about 5500 pp; volumes 1-4 in total 3918 pp) is not only an important reference book for taxonomists dealing with this group, but also a comprehensive source of information for biologists of other disciplines, for example, ecology, molecular biology, physiology. Environmental protection workers (e.g., in the water quality management) need not waste a lot of time to search for the many individual papers which are distributed in many journals from throughout the world. The Monograph is written in English and therefore usable for everyone worldwide.

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