Coleps is a genus of ciliates in the class Prostomatea with barrel-shaped bodies surrounded by regularly arranged plates composed of calcium carbonate.

[2] Coleps can be taxonomically distinguished by the ornamentation of the ectoplasmic plates which make up their test.

[2] These plates are located outside alveolar vesicles of the cell cortex, and contain both organic and inorganic components, the latter of which is mostly amorphous calcium carbonate.

[3] Coleps feeds on bacteria, algae, flagellates, living and dead ciliates, animal and plant tissues.

[4] Coleps uses toxicysts, which are organelles containing poison that it uses to capture its prey from its oral area.