Some planktonic rotifers find safety in numbers. Conochilus unicornis is a colonial rotifer that forms a spinning sphere. They secrete a mass of mucus in which their tails find a foothold. The colony moves in a coordinated fashion and the individuals are dependent on the colony, a detached individual will not be able to swim properly.

  
Part of the Collection of the Rotifer Room of the Micropolitan Museum © Wim van Egmond