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Opalinids

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Containing group: Stramenopiles

Characteristics

Biodiversity

Four opalinid genera are presently recognized: Cepedea, Opalina, Protoopalina, Zelleriella.  These genera are separated from one another based upon the shape of the organism in cross-section and the number of nuclei per cell.  According to Corliss (1990) over 400 opalinid species have been described but the actual number of species is likely to be much lower.  Species placed in Cepedea and Opalina possess numerous nuclei per cell whereas Protoopalina and Zelleriella are binucleate.

 

References

Adl SM, Simpson AGB, Farmer MA, Andersen RA, Anderson OR, Barta JR, Bowser SS, Brugerolle G, Fensome RA, Fredericq S, James TY, Karpov S, Kugrens P, Krug J, Lane CE, Lewis LA, Lodge J, Lynn DH, Mann DG, McCourt RM, L. Mendoza L, Moestrup Ø, Mozley-Standridge SE, Nerad TA, Shearer CA, Smirnov AV, Spiegel FW, Taylor MJ (2005) The new higher level classification of eukaryotes with emphasis on the taxonomy of protists. J Eukaryot. Microbiol 52:399-451

Andersen RA, Barr DJS, Lynn DH, Melkonian M, Moestrup Ø, Sleigh MA (1991) Terminology and nomenclature of the cytoskeletal elements associated with the flagellar/ciliary apparatus in protists. Protoplasma 164:1-8

Cavalier-Smith T (1993) The protozoan phylum Opalozoa. J Euk Micobiol 40:609-615

Cavalier-Smith T (1997) Sagenista and Bigyra, two phyla of hetertrophic heterokont chromists. Archiv Protistenk 148:253-267

Cavalier-Smith T, Chao EE-Y (2006) Phylogeny and megasystematics of phagotrophic heterokonts (Kingdom Chromista). J Mol Evol 62:388-420

Corliss JO (1990) Class Opalinata. In Margulis L, Corliss JO, Melkonian M, Chapman DJ [eds] Handbook of Protoctista, pp. 239-245. Bartlett and Jones Publishers, Boston, MA, USA.

Delvinquier B, Patterson DJ (1993) The Opalines. In: Parasitic Protozoa. Academic Press. pp. 247-325

Kostka M, Hampl V, Cepicka I, Flegr J (2004) Phylogenetic position of Protoopalina intestinalis based on SSU rRNA. Mol Phylogenet Evol 33:220-224

Lee JJ, Leedale GF, Bradbury P (eds) (2000) An Illustrated Guide to the Protozoa, 2nd Ed. Allen Press, Lawrence, KS.

Margulis L, Corliss JO, Melkonian M (eds) (1990) Handbook of Protoctista. Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Boston, MA.

McKeal JR, Kuehl JV, Boore JL, de Pamphilis CW (2007) Complete plastid

Nishi A, Ishida K, Endoh H (2005) Reevaluation of the evolutionary position of opalinids based on 18S rDNA, and a- and b-tubulin gene phylogenies. J Mol Evol 60:695-705

Patterson DJ (1999) The diversity of eukaryotes. The American Naturalist 154:S96-S124

Patterson DJ (1989) Stramenopiles: chromophytes from a protistological perspective. In Green JC, Leadbeater BSC and Diver WL (eds) The Chromophyte Algae: Problems and Perspectives. Clarendon Press, Oxford. Pp 357-379

Patterson DJ (2002) Residual heterotrophic stramenoplies. In Lee JJ, Leedale GF, Bradbury P (eds) An Illustrated Guide to the Protozoa. Society of Protozoologists, Lawrence, Kansas pp 751-754.

Title Illustrations
Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window
Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window
Scientific Name Opalinid
Location Wilmington, NC
Specimen Condition Live Specimen
Copyright © 2010 J. Craig Bailey
Scientific Name Opalinid
Location Wilmington, NC
Specimen Condition Live Specimen
Copyright © 2010 J. Craig Bailey
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Tree of Life Web Project. 2010. Opalinids. Version 28 April 2010 (under construction). http://tolweb.org/Opalinids/142201/2010.04.28 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/

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