Parablepharismea

Parablepharismea is a class of free-living marine and brackish anaerobic ciliates^[1] that form a major clade of obligate anaerobes within the SAL group (Spirotrichea, Armophorea, and Litostomatea), together with the classes Muranotrichea and Armophorea.

Parablepharismea
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Clade:	Sar
Clade:	Alveolata
Phylum:	Ciliophora
Subphylum:	Intramacronucleata
Class:	Parablepharismea Rotterová et al., 2020
Order:	Parablepharismida Rotterová et al., 2020
Family:	Parablepharismidae Campello-Nunes et al., 2020
Genera
Kahlium Parablepharisma

Parablepharismea are medium to large, elongated ciliates with navicular outline and holotrichous somatic ciliature composed of dikinetids without postciliodesmata.^[2][1] Their oral ciliature is composed of bipartite paroral membrane and adoral zone of membranelles. They host a thick coat of prokaryotic ectosymbionts and cytoplasmic endosymbionts. They are found in micro-oxic marine to brackish habitats.

Parablepharismea may be related to the deep sea Cariacotrichea ciliates.^[3][2][1]

This class contains a single order, Parablepharismida,^[1] and family Parablepharismidae.^[2] The genus Parablepharisma^[4][5] includes five species. The genus Kahlium includes a single species K. chlamydophorum with segmented paroral area and a twisted posterior.^[2]