Attachment of the ciliate Epidinium Crawley to plant fragments in the sheep rumen.

High concentrations of the ciliate Epidinium Crawley are associated with damaged regions of fresh plant material undergoing digestion in the sheep rumen. This finding supports that postulate that sequestration in the rumen explains the low rate of passage of protozoa despite the high flow rate of liquid from the rumen. The maintenance of Epidinium in the rumen, despite their slow growth rate, is also explained.