Minimassisteria

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Minimassisteria
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Clade: Diaphoretickes
Clade: Sar
Clade: Rhizaria
Phylum: Cercozoa
Class: Granofilosea
Order: Leucodictyida
Family: Massisteriidae
Genus: Minimassisteria
Species:
M. diva
Binomial name
Minimassisteria diva
Arndt & Cavalier-Smith, 2011 [1]

Minimassisteria is a marine bacterivorous genus of protists with only one species, M. diva, that presents three different lifestyle forms. It has a widespread geographic distribution. It is an amoeboflagellate most closely related to Massisteria , and together comprise the family Massisteriidae. [1]

Contents

Morphology and behavior

Minimassisteria are trimorphic (i.e. with three forms) filose amoeboflagellates with two flagella. Their life cycle has a trophic phase that feeds by non-anastomosing filose pseudopodia (i.e. filopodia) that bear evident granules along their length. There is a distinct swimming form and, unlike its closest relative Massisteria , a crawling form with a thicker non-granular anterior filopodia used for traction. [1]

Etymology

The genus name references the small size, as well as its similarity to Massisteria . The species epithet references the deep-sea expedition DIVA, during which the type strain of M. diva was collected, at a depth of 5036 meters in the Northern Cape abyssal plain. [1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Howe AT, Bass D, Scoble JM, Lewis R, Vickerman K, Arndt H, Cavalier-Smith T (2011). "Novel Cultured Protists Identify Deep-branching Environmental DNA Clades of Cercozoa: New Genera Tremula, Micrometopion, Minimassisteria, Nudifila, Peregrinia". Protist. 162 (2): 332–372. doi:10.1016/j.protis.2010.10.002. ISSN   1434-4610.
  2. Mylnikov, Alexander P.; Weber, Felix; Jürgens, Klaus; Wylezich, Claudia (2015-08-01). "Massisteria marina has a sister: Massisteria voersi sp. nov., a rare species isolated from coastal waters of the Baltic Sea". European Journal of Protistology. 51 (4): 299–310. doi:10.1016/j.ejop.2015.05.002. ISSN   1618-0429. PMID   26163290.