commensal, Mycophagous Heterotrophic Flagellate with a Doubled Kinetid

The name Cholamonas cyrtodiopsidis gen. n., sp. n., is created for a mycophagous heterotrophic flagellate isolated and cultivated from the intestine of a diopsid fly. Flagellates were subanteriorly biflagellate, uninucleate, and naked. Golgi dictyosomes were anterior to the nucleus, and a reticulate paranuclear body posterior to it. Two groups of refractile bodies were present, one at the anterior end of the cell, the other in the vicinity of the nucleus. Numerous elongate, unbranched mitochondria with tubular cristae were distributed around the periphery and parallel to the long axis of the cell. The kinetid consisted of two symmetrical subunits, each with two basal bodies (one of which was associated with a stubby flagellum), a compound microtubular root, and associated fibers and bands. Cytoskeletal microtubules emanated from the cell anterior and were not associated with any kinetid element. Feeding, on yeast, was accomplished by rapid pseudopodial action at the posterior end of the cell. Cholamonas cyrtodiopsidis is referred to Cercomonadida because it possesses a paranuclear body and has a kinetid architecture similar to some species of Cercomonas. It differs from all other cercomonads in its endocommensal habitat, mycophagy, doubled kinetid, distribution of refractile granules and mitochondria, and minimal production of pseudopodia.