B. mycoides is distinguished from other Bacillus species by its unusual growth on agar plates, where it forms expansive hairy colonies with characteristic swirls.

[1] B. mycoides is distinguished from a number of other Bacillus species in the unusual morphology of the colonies it forms when grown on agar plates.

B. mycoides forms white opaque colonies that are characteristically hairy in appearance (often referred to as "rhizoid").

[1] These colonies rapidly spread to fill the plate and are characterized by a repeating spiral pattern.

[1][2] B. mycoides has the unusual property of being able to respond to mechanical force and surface structure variations in the media on which it is growing.