''Rhizamoeba'' is a small genus of free-living
marine naked
lobose amoebae in the
monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unisp ...
family Rhizamoebidae
in the order
Leptomyxida.
It is most closely related to ''
Leptomyxa'' and ''
Flabellula
''Flabellula'' is a genus of Amoebozoa
Amoebozoa is a major Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic group containing about 2,400 described species of Amoeba, amoeboid protists, often possessing blunt, fingerlike, Pseudopod#Morphology, lobose pseudopods ...
'', and some species have been moved to ''
Leptomyxa'' due to molecular data.
Morphology
Members of ''Rhizamoeba'' are characterized by their morphology when they move, which is usually monopodial (with a single ramification), alternating between a slug-like shape and a fan shape. They have either one
nucleus or multiple (less than 50) nuclei.
Classification
The
paraphyly
Paraphyly is a taxonomic term describing a grouping that consists of the grouping's last common ancestor and some but not all of its descendant lineages. The grouping is said to be paraphyletic ''with respect to'' the excluded subgroups. In co ...
of the genus caused the transfer of two previously rhizamoeban species into ''
Leptomyxa'': ''
R. australiensis'' and ''
R. neglecta''. As a result, only 3 species are currently confirmed as ''Rhizamoeba'':
* ''
Rhizamoeba saxonica''
* ''
Rhizamoeba polyura''
* ''
Rhizamoeba matisi''
Other possible species are not yet confirmed due to lack of published data or poor documentation.
Some of these are: ''
R. schnepfii'' (considered ''
nomen dubium
In binomial nomenclature, a ''nomen dubium'' (Latin for "doubtful name", plural ''nomina dubia'') is a scientific name that is of unknown or doubtful application.
Zoology
In case of a ''nomen dubium,'' it may be impossible to determine whether a ...
'' since it has not been deposited to any culture collection), ''
Trichamoeba caerulea'' and ''
Trichamoeba clava'' (both transferred to ''Rhizamoeba'' in 1980 but poorly documented), ''
Amoeba clavarioides'' (identified as ''R. clavarioides'' through light microscopy), ''
Polychaos timidum'' (identified as ''R. timidum'' through light microscopy
), etc.
References
Amoebozoa genera
Tubulinea
{{Amoebozoa-stub