Hedriocystis pellucida

Hedriocystis pellucida
Extract from a phase-contrast microscopy recording of H. pellucida, with the stalk visible
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Clade: Sar
Clade: Rhizaria
Phylum: Cercozoa
Class: Granofilosea
Order: Desmothoracida
Family: Clathrulinidae
Genus: Hedriocystis
Species:
H. pellucida
Binomial name
Hedriocystis pellucida
Hertwig & Lesser, 1874

Hedriocystis pellucida is a species of stalked heliozoan amoebae belonging to the Granofilosea.

Description

Hedriocystis pellucida is a species of heliozoa, amoebae with pseudopodia radiating from the cell in a sun-like fashion. In particular, H. pellucida and other species of Hedriocystis are characterized by cells enclosed in a smooth mucous capsule that is perforated by small pores and stands on a tubular stalk. Capsules of H. pellucida are oval, either transparent or yellow, measuring 16.8–30 μm in diameter, and with the pores located at the tips of conical knobs that are unique to this species. The cells have several contractile vacuoles and produce reproductive flagellates with two flagella.[1]

Distribution

Hedriocystis pellucida is a freshwater species. It has been reported in Australia and in Northern and Western Europe, particularly Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, France, Sweden, Finland and Bulgaria.[1]

Taxonomy

Hedriocystis pellucida was described in 1874 by Richard Hertwig and Edmund Lesser from amoebae collected in Germany.[2] In phylogenomic analyses, it is the only representative of the class Granofilosea and has been used to infer the evolutionary position of this class in Cercozoa-wide analyses.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b Mikrjukov, Kirill A. (2000). "Taxonomy and Phylogeny of Heliozoa. I. The Order Desmothoracida Hertwig et Lesser, 1874" (PDF). Acta Protozoologica. 39: 81–97.
  2. ^ Hertwig, R.; Lesser, E. "Ueber Rhizopoden und denselben nahestehende Organismen: Morphologische Studien" [On rhizopods and related organisms: Morphological studies]. Archiv für mikroskopische Anatomie (in German): 35–243, pl.
  3. ^ Lax, Gordon; Cooney, Elizabeth C.; Zlatogursky, Vasily; Mtawali, Mahara; Okamoto, Noriko; et al. (30 January 2026). "Phylogenomic tree of Cercozoa based on single-cell transcriptomes from 100 uncultured cells". BMC Biology. 24 (1) 55. doi:10.1186/s12915-026-02536-4. ISSN 1741-7007. PMC 12930898. PMID 41618358.