A new freshwater species of naked lobose amoebae, Korotnevella novazelandica n. sp. (Amoebozoa, Discosea, Flabellinia, Dactylopodida), from New Zealand was studied and described. This species has sombrero-shaped as well as dish-shaped scales, a combination previously not known in Korotnevella. Phylogenetic analysis based on 18S rRNA gene placed it in a clade along with Korotnevella species possessing uniform sombrero-shaped scales: K. pelagolacustris, K. jeppesenii and K. fousta. At the level of light microscopy, K. novazelandica lacks clear distinctions from the above-mentioned species, but it could be easily distinguished from them in electron microscopy by the presence of dish-shaped scales. The presence of dish-shaped scales may be considered as a primitive character for the K. pelagolacustris + K. jeppesenii + K. fousta + K. novazelandica clade, which were secondarily lost in the most of species in this clade. The sombrero-shaped scales could have evolved from basket scales or developed de novo after the loss of basket scales.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)238-247
JournalProtistology
Volume11
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 2017

    Research areas

  • 18S rRNA gene, Korotnevella, molecular phylogeny, scales, systematics, ultrastructure

ID: 10171439