Anisonemidae

Anisonemidae is a small family of euglenid algae, with two accepted genera. It is the only family in the order Anisonemida.^[1]

Anisonemidae
Anisonema acinus
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Clade:	Discoba
Phylum:	Euglenozoa
Class:	Euglenida
Order:	Anisonemida Cavalier-Smith, 2016[1]
Family:	Anisonemidae Saville Kent, 1880[2]

Description

The family consists of single-celled organisms with a larger posterior flagellum by means of which they are able to glide. They are phagotrophic, meaning that they feed by engulfing particles of food, and are non-photosynthetic.^[1]

Taxonomy

The family was established by William Saville-Kent in a work published in 1880–1881.^[2][3] Saville-Kent used a much wider circumscription than more recent sources.^[3] Historically, phagotrophic euglenids have been treated as animals, and named under the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature,^[1] hence the family name ending "-idae".

Genera

As of May 2023^[update], two genera are accepted:^[1]

• Anisonema Dujardin, 1841
• Dinema Perty, 1852 (syn. Dinematomonas P.C.Silva, 1960)

A third genus, Heteronema Dujardin, 1841, is listed by some sources.^[2] The status of the genus is unclear; it appears to be polyphyletic, with some species falling into the order Peranemida and others in Anisonemida. Many of its species have been transferred into Teloprocta, which is placed in Peranemida.^[1]