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The World of Protozoa, Rotifera, Nematoda and Oligochaeta

Diplonema

Diplonema

[ref. ID; 4898]
Diplonema is a genus of sack-shaped organisms that exhibit pronounced metaboly similar to that displayed by the euglenid Peranema (pers. oberv.). Diplonema species all have two short flagella inserting sub-apically into a pronounced pocket (Griessmann 1913) and are usually encountered gliding on surface. The first electron-microscopical observations (under the name Isonema, a junior synonym of Diplonema, see Triemer & Ott 1990) suggested a systematic position near the englenids (Schuster et al. 1968). However Diplonema lacks a 'pellicle' (see Preisig et al. 1994) of proteinaceous strips, the best candidate for a synapomorphy identifying the euglenids proper (see Larsen & Patterson 1990; Triemer & Farmer 1991). Kivic & Walne (1984) considered Diplonema as a possible 'link' between euglenids and kinetoplastids. Diplonema is included in the Euglenozoa by most recent schemes that recognise the groups (Corliss 1994; Patterson 1994; Cavalier-Smith 1995) but, apparently, not all (Hausmann & Hulsmann 1995). (ref. ID; 4898)
  1. Diplonema ambulator (ref. ID; 4898)
  2. Diplonema breviciliata (ref. ID; 4898)
  3. Diplonema nigricans (ref. ID; 4898)
  4. Diplonema papillatum (ref. ID; 4839)
  5. Diplonema sulcatum (ref. ID; 4839)