Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Microfocus X-ray CT (microCT) Imaging of Actinia equina (Cnidaria), Harmothoe sp. (Annelida), and Xenoturbella japonica (Xenacoelomorpha)
Published on: August 6, 2019
Molecular characterization and revised systematics of Microdiaphanosoma arcuatum (Ciliophora, Colpodea)
Pablo Quintela-Alonso1, Frank Nitsche, Hartmut Arndt
1Department of General Ecology, Cologne Biocenter, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany. pablo.quintela@unikoeln.de
Abstract:
Microdiaphanosoma arcuatum Wenzel, 1953 is a world-wide distributed ciliate, recorded mainly in soil samples, which we have also identified in ground water samples from South Africa. This ciliate has been frequently overlooked or not determined due to its small size, ∼12 μm. The genus Microdiaphanosoma is nowadays included in the class Colpodea, order Bryometopida, family Kreyellidae. The first complete small subunit (SSU) rDNA gene sequence of this ciliate was obtained from a South African isolate. Phylogenetic analysis including available SSU rDNA sequences from another Colpodea species in the GenBank strongly supported the position of M. arcuatum within the order Cyrtolophosidida instead of the order Bryometopida. The analysis also suggested a sister relationship between this species and species from the family Cyrtolophosididae.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Diversity of Protists II
Diversity of Protists I
Phylogenetic Species Concept in Microbiology
Diversity of Protists III
Diversity of Archaea III
Microbial Classification System

