Helkesimastix

Helkesimastix faecicola is a flagellate, which is found in water and soil and feeds on bacteria. It is the only species of the genus Helkesimastix and belongs to the Cercomonadida.

Features

Helkesimastix faecicola is slidably Locomotive flagellate. The cell is cylindrical and elongated. The front end of the cell has a small beak ( rostrum ). The front, short scourge facing the side, the rear scourge is long. Both flagella advertise one of a small bag. Located at the bottom on the cell surface of a double row of refractile bodies of unknown nature. In the rear of the cell is a contractile vacuole. At the rear end, a small, unbranched pseudopod are formed, the cell shape is therefore variable. Cysts are not known of this type.

Occurrence

Helkesimastix faecicola occurs in soil, fresh and brackish water, also in wastewater.

System

The genus is made due to the body shape and the formation of pseudopodia in the Cercomonadidae family, of the genus Cercomonas it differs by the short anterior flagellum, the beak and the absence of cysts.

Documents

• Alexander P. Mylnikov, Serguei A. Karpov: Review of diversity and taxonomy of cercomonads. Protistology, Volume 3, 2004, pp. 201-217. ISSN 1680-0826

• Cercozoa (Taxon )
• Cercozoa