Heliomonadida

The Heliomonadida[1] (formerly Dimorphida[2]) are a small group of heliozoan amoeboids that are unusual in possessing flagella throughout their life cycle.

Heliomonadida
Heliomorpha mutans (= Dimorpha mutans), fig. 9-11
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain:Eukaryota
Clade:Diaphoretickes
Clade:SAR
Phylum:Cercozoa
Class:Granofilosea
Order:Heliomonadida
Cavalier-Smith, 1993 emend. Cavalier-Smith, 2012
Family:Heliomorphidae
Cavalier-Smith & Bass 2009
Genera
  • Heliomorpha Cavalier-Smith & Bass 2009
  • Tetradimorpha Hsiung 1927

Classification

Genetic studies place them among the Cercozoa, a group including various other flagellates that form filose pseudopodia. This order has recently been placed into the new class of naked filose cercozoans called Granofilosea.[1]There are two genera in this order:

  • Heliomorpha, a tiny organism found in freshwater
  • the larger Tetradimorpha, which is distinguished by having four rather than two flagella.

Morphology

Bundles of microtubules, typically in square array, arise from a body near the flagellar bases and support the numerous axopods that project from the cell surface.

Dimorphids have a single nucleus, and mitochondria with tubular cristae.

References