Viridiraptor

Viridiraptor is a genus of heterotrophic protists, containing the single species Viridiraptor invadens. It belongs to the family Viridiraptoridae, in the phylum Cercozoa.[1][2]

Viridiraptor
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Clade: Diaphoretickes
Clade: SAR
Phylum: Cercozoa
Class: Sarcomonadea
Order: Glissomonadida
Family: Viridiraptoridae
Genus: Viridiraptor
Species:
V. invadens
Binomial name
Viridiraptor invadens
Hess & Melkonian, 2013[1]

Morphology

Viridiraptor are unicellular biflagellated organisms that have two blunt-ended, slightly unequal flagella and a peripheral conical nucleus closer to the cell's apical end, closely surrounded by several Golgi dictyosomes in its most anterior (anatomy) half. There are cortical extrusomes distributed homogenously across the cell periphery.[1]

Ecology and behavior

Starving Viridiraptor cells can glide agitatedly while whipping their anterior flagellum, but they also commonly swim across the water column along a helical path. They invade dead or live cells of large-celled freshwater green algae to feed on their protoplast material, and also propagate within the lumen of the devoured cell. They can also extract plastids from small-celled algae.[1]

Etymology

The name Viridiraptor (from Latin viride 'green', and raptor 'thief'), meaning 'robber of the green', refers to its ability to feed on the chloroplasts of the green algae that it preys. The epithet invadens (from Latin invado 'invading') is due to its ability to invade live algal cells.[1]

References
  1. Hess S, Melkonian M (2013). "The Mystery of Clade X: Orciraptor gen. nov. and Viridiraptor gen. nov. are Highly Specialised, Algivorous Amoeboflagellates (Glissomonadida, Cercozoa)". Protist. 164 (5): 706–747. doi:10.1016/j.protis.2013.07.003. ISSN 1434-4610. PMID 23994723.
  2. Hess S, Melkonian M (2014). "Ultrastructure of the Algivorous Amoeboflagellate Viridiraptor invadens (Glissomonadida, Cercozoa)". Protist. 165 (5): 605–635. doi:10.1016/j.protis.2014.07.004. ISSN 1434-4610. PMID 25150610.
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