''Alabasta'' () is a genus of arcellinid

testate amoebae Testate amoebae (formerly thecamoebians, Testacea or Thecamoeba) are a polyphyletic group of unicellular amoeboid protists, which differ from naked amoebae in the presence of a test (biology), test that partially encloses the cell, with an apert ...

belonging to the family

Hyalospheniidae Hyalospheniidae is a family of arcellinid testate amoebae and the sole family of the infraorder Hyalospheniformes. Commonly referred to as "hyalospheniids", these lobose amoebae are characterized by their ability to generate a shell composed of ...

. It contains species with an elongated

test Test(s), testing, or TEST may refer to: * Test (assessment), an educational assessment intended to measure the respondents' knowledge or other abilities Arts and entertainment * ''Test'' (2013 film), an American film * ''Test'' (2014 film) ...

and a strongly curved "pseudostome" (the test opening) with a flare and a notch in narrow view. These species previously belonged to the genus '' Nebela'', but were later found to be a distinct

monophyletic In biological cladistics for the classification of organisms, monophyly is the condition of a taxonomic grouping being a clade – that is, a grouping of organisms which meets these criteria: # the grouping contains its own most recent co ...

group different from ''Nebela''. It is the sister group to '' Planocarina''.

Morphology

Members of ''Alabasta'' have a rigid, elongated

that is colourless or yellowish, with a maximum width at about two thirds of the distance from the test's aperture and sides, then thinner towards the aperture. The test is

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residue (biochemistry), residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including Enzyme catalysis, catalysing metab ...

aceous, often incorporating

silica Silicon dioxide, also known as silica, is an oxide of silicon with the chemical formula , commonly found in nature as quartz. In many parts of the world, silica is the major constituent of sand. Silica is one of the most complex and abundant f ...

scales taken from

euglyphid The euglyphids are a prominent group of filose amoebae that produce shells or tests that in most described species is reinforced by siliceous scales, plates, and sometimes spines, but this reinforcement is absent in other species. These element ...

preys. The pseudostome (i.e. aperture) is strongly convex with a flare (i.e. fan shape) in broad view and a deep notch in profile view. Lateral pores are usually present at about one third of the distance from the pseudostome to the fundus (i.e. the bottom of the test, opposite to the aperture).

Taxonomy

''Alabasta'' was described in 2018 by Clément Duckert, Quentin Blandenier, Anush Kosakyan and David Singer. The description of the genus was published in the ''

European Journal of Protistology ''The European Journal of Protistology'' is a scientific journal that covers the entire scope of protistology, from their development and ecology to molecular biology. The journal is published by Elsevier. It is official journal of the Federation ...

''.

Etymology

The genus was named after the greek word ''αλάβαστρος'' (alábastros), as a reference to the diaphanous and yellowish appearance of the test. It is also related to Alabasta, a fictitious desert island described in the manga

One Piece ''One Piece'' (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and his crew, the Straw Hat Pirates, as he explores the Grand Line in search of the myt ...

, which is reminiscent of the ecological preferences of '' Alabasta militaris'', used in the monitoring of

peatland A peatland is a type of wetland whose soils consist of Soil organic matter, organic matter from decaying plants, forming layers of peat. Peatlands arise because of incomplete decomposition of organic matter, usually litter from vegetation, du ...

s as an indicator of dryness.

Classification

There are 3 species of ''Alabasta'': *'' Alabasta kivuense'' (=''Nebela kivuense'' ) *'' Alabasta longicollis'' (=''Nebela longicollis'' ) *'' Alabasta militaris'' (=''Nebela militaris'' ; =''N. bursella'' ; =''Nebela americana'' var. ''bryophila'' )

References

Tubulinea Amoebozoa genera {{Amoebozoa-stub