Leucodictyida

Leucodictyids are heterotrophic amoeboid protists that comprise the order Leucodictyida in the phylum Cercozoa.^[2]

Leucodictyida
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Clade:	Sar
Clade:	Rhizaria
Phylum:	Cercozoa
Class:	Granofilosea
Order:	Leucodictyida Cavalier-Smith, 1993 emend. 2003[1]
Type genus
Leucodictyon Grell, 1991
Families[2]
Leucodictyidae Massisteriidae

Morphology

Leucodictyids are biciliate amoebae with branching filopodia that are capable of fusing temporarily with each other to form structures known as meroplasmodia. These filopodia can bear extrusomes, and are appressed to the substrate while supported in part by irregularly arranged microtubules. Inside the cell itself, an important characteristic is the presence of tubular mitochondrial cristae.^[1]

Taxonomy

Leucodictyida was described in 1993 as a monotypic order containing only the family Leucodictyidae.^[3] Later, in 2003, it was emended to also contain the family Massisteriidae.^[1] It currently contains a total of 4 genera.

• Family Leucodictyidae Cavalier-Smith, 1993
  • Leucodictyon Grell, 1991
  • Reticulamoeba Grell, 1994
• Family Massisteriidae Cavalier-Smith, 1993
  • Massisteria Larsen & Patterson, 1990
  • Minimassisteria Arndt & Cavalier-Smith, 2011^[4]