Pediglissa

Pediglissa
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Clade:	Diaphoretickes
Clade:	SAR
Phylum:	Cercozoa
Class:	Sarcomonadea
Subclass:	Pediglissa Cavalier-Smith, 2018[1]
Orders
Cercomonadida Glissomonadida

Pediglissa (from Ancient Greek πέδον 'soil' and French glisser 'to glide') is a subclass of phagotrophic protists that inhabit soil or freshwater habitats. They were defined in 2018 according to phylogenetic analyses that showed a clade containing the orders Cercomonadida and Glissomonadida. They're the sister group of Paracercomonadida.^[1]

Morphology and behavior

Pediglissa are biciliate protists that glide on their posterior cilium and have a strong tendency to become amoeboid during feeding, unlike the metromonads. Their pseudopodia are more often shaped like rounded lamellae than finger-like or filose pseudopodia, unlike the paracercomonads. Their anterior cilium is often well developed, unlike in helkesids, but can be short in glissomonads; it moves with an undulating oar-like beat. The trophic cells (i.e. feeding forms) are naked, without a theca, scales, or perles, unlike in Thecofilosea and many freshwater Imbricatea.^[1]

Diversity

Pediglissa includes the majority of known cercozoan soil flagellates, all gliding on a single posterior cilium only:^[1] the largely bacterivorous Cercomonadida, and the Glissomonadida^[2] which include pansomonads and the algivorous Viridiraptoridae of recent description.^[3]

References