Published by the International Society of Protistologists Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology ISSN 1066-5234 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Small but Manifold – Hidden Diversity in “Spumella-like Flagellates” Lars Grossmanna, Christina Bocka, Michael Schweikertb & Jens Boenigka a Department of Biodiversity, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitatsstrasse€ 5, 45141 Essen, Germany b Department of Zoology, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, 70550 Stuttgart, Germany Keywords ABSTRACT Bacterivorous protists; biodiversity; Chrysomonads; Chrysophyceae; hetero- Colourless, nonscaled chrysophytes comprise morphologically similar or even trophic nanoflagellates; microbial food web; indistinguishable flagellates which are important bacterivors in water and soil microbial loop; Monas; Stramenopiles; crucial for ecosystem functioning. However, phylogenetic analyses indicate a taxonomy. multiple origin of such colourless, nonscaled flagellate lineages. These flagellates are often referred to as “Spumella-like flagellates” in ecological and biogeo- Correspondence graphic studies. Although this denomination reflects an assumed polyphyly, it L. Grossmann, Department of Biodiversity, obscures the phylogenetic and taxonomic diversity of this important flagellate University of Duisburg-Essen, Univer- group and, thus, hinders progress in lineage- and taxon-specific ecological sur- sitatsstrasse€ 5, 45141 Essen, Germany veys. The smallest representatives of colourless chrysophytes have been Telephone number: +49-(0)201-183-3200; addressed in very few taxonomic studies although they are among the dominant FAX number: +49-(0)201-183-4290; flagellates in field communities. To overcome the blurred picture and set the field e-mail:
[email protected] for further investigation in biogeography and ecology of the organisms in ques- tion, we studied a set of strains of specifically small, colourless, nonscaled chry- Received: 7 March 2014; revised 16 somonad flagellates by means of electron microscopy and molecular analyses.