Protistology 1 (1) 20–29 (1999)
An illustrated list of basic morphotypes of Gymnamoebia (Rhizopoda, Lobosea)
Alexey V. Smirnov and Andrew V. Goodkov
Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology and Soil Sci., St. Petersburg State University, and
Summary
Detailed analyses of the diversity of locomotive forms among naked lobose amoebae (Lobosea, Gymnamoebia) allow us to construct a typology
consisting of 19 "morphotypes" encompassing all known species of the subclass Gymnamoebia. We identify a "morphotype" as a "general
pattern of the morphodynamic organisation of the locomotive form of an amoeba". This system of morphotypes is not a taxonomical one and does
not duplicate existing systematic classifications of the respective taxa, although some morphotypes correspond well to the systematic groups of
gymnamoebae. Morphotypes are illustrated with schematic drawings and accompanied with brief diagnoses. Selected representatives of different
morphotypes are illustrated with photomicrographs. The proposed system of morphotypes seems to be a useful tool for description of
gymnamoebae and for elaboration of an iconographic key to gymnamoebae. It can be a helpful tool for preliminary determination of naked
amoebae (especially in ecological studies).
Key words: amoebae, Lobosea, Gymnamoebia, morphology, systematic, morphotypes
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