Main Content

The World of Protozoa, Rotifera, Nematoda and Oligochaeta

Anehmia

Anehmia Ekebom, Patterson & Vors, 1995/96 (ref. ID; 4872 original paper: Protista Incertae sedis)

[ref. ID; 4872]
Diagnosis; Gliding protist of uncertain affinities, colourless, with no visible flagellum or pseudopodia. Cell pliable, sausage shaped, anterior end with an opening surrounded by triangular raised margin. Posterior end broader and rounded. (ref. ID; 4872)

[ref. ID; 4898]
This small, colourless protist which lacks flagella was suggested as having euglenozoan affinities, based on the similarity to Diplonema in body shape, gliding and presumed site of ingestion (Ekebom et al. 1996). Patterson & Simpson (1996) subsequently listed this genus as Euglenozoa incertae sedis. There are no ultrastructural data available. (ref. ID; 4898)
  1. Anehmia exotica Ekebom, Patterson & Vors, 1995/96 (ref. ID; 4872 original paper) reported author and year? (ref. ID; 4898)

Anehmia exotica Ekebom, Patterson & Vors, 1995/96 (ref. ID; 4872 original paper) reported author and year? (ref. ID; 4898)

Diagnosis

Anehmia measuring 12-15 um, from marine sediments. (ref. ID; 4872)

Descriptions

Cell pliable (plastic), aflagellated and general appearance sausage-shaped. Anterior end with what appears to be an ingestion apparatus, the opening which is triangular and surrounded by a thickened margin. The posterior end of the cell is thicker and rounded. Refractile droplets of different size may be seen in all cells, some of which lie near the cell surface. Cell glide slowly with anterior end pressed against the surface. The cell is then held away from the substrate with the concave (ventral) side of the cell facing the substrate. No source for locomotion could be identified and no slime track was visible where the cell moved. Feeding not observed. (ref. ID; 4872)

Remarks

In the way that this organism glides with an anterior part of the body pressed to the substrate, in the pliability of its body, and in the (presumed) presence of a discrete ingestion region Anehmia exotica resembles Diplonema ambulator (Larsen & Patterson 1990; Triemer & Farmer 1991), and Rhynchopus amitus (Skuja 1948; Huber-Pestalozzi 1955). Both are reported to be fairly metabolic in their motion, R. amitus is also reported to have a vibrating locomotory organ which was not observed in A. exotica. R. amitus is also reported to be almost twice the size of A. exotica. Diplonema may be without flagella at times and on these occasions similarity is greatest, although the metabolic of Diplonema and its possession of a subapical pocket will allow the taxa to be distinguished. We regard Anehmia almost likely to be assignable to the Euglenozoa. Further work is required. (ref. ID; 4872)

Measurements

Cell length 13.5 um, range 12-15 um. (ref. ID; 4872)