Its name means "swan tear" in Latin, and refers to its general shape: namely, a teardrop-shaped cell with a small "head" at the end of a long slender "neck".

[1] The protist is notable for its ability to extend its "neck" by up to thirty times the length of its body (about 1.2 mm), and manipulate in many directions very rapidly — even around obstacles — in order to capture its food.

[3] The molecular mechanism underlying L. olor's "cellular origami" appears to be a helical array of microtubules, presently unique among organisms, uncovered in 2024.

[2] Lacrymaria olor can be easily reproduced in vitro, but cultivated populations are difficult to maintain for long.

It can reproduce sexually, with each individual assuming either of two mating types ("sexes") at various times of the day.