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Until now, Hemistasia phaeocysticola was the only representative of the monogeneric family Hemistasiidae available in culture. Here we describe two new axenized hemistasiids isolated from Tokyo Bay, Japan. Like in other diplonemids, cellular organization of these heterotrophic protists is characterized by a distinct apical papilla, a tubular cytopharynx contiguous with a deep flagellar pocket, and a highly branched mitochondrion with lamellar cristae. Both hemistasiids also bear a prominent digestive vacuole, peripheral lacunae, and paraflagellar rods, are highly motile and exhibit diverse morphologies in culture. We argue that significant differences in molecular phylogenetics and ultrastructure between these new species and H. phaeocysticola are on the generic level. Therefore, we have established two new genera within Hemistasiidae – Artemidia gen. n. and Namystynia gen. n. to accommodate Artemidia motanka , sp. n. and Namystynia karyoxenos , sp. n., respectively. A. motanka permanently carries tubular extrusomes, while in N. karyoxenos , they are present only in starving cells. An additional remarkable feature of the latter species is the presence, in both the cytoplasm and the nucleus, of the endosymbiotic rickettsiid Candidatus Sneabacter namystus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diplonemids were recently found to be the most species-rich group of marine planktonic protists. Based on phylogenetic analysis of 18S rRNA gene sequences and morphological observations, we report the description of new members of the genus Rhynchopus – R. humris sp. n. and R. serpens sp. n., and the establishment of two new genera – Lacrimia gen. n. and Sulcionema gen. n., represented by L. lanifica sp. n. and S. specki sp. n., respectively. In addition, we describe the organism formerly designated as Diplonema sp. 2 (ATCC 50224) as Flectonema neradi gen. n., sp. n. The newly described diplonemids share a common set of traits. Cells are sac-like but variable in shape and size, highly metabolic, and surrounded by a naked cell membrane, which is supported by a tightly packed corset of microtubules. They carry a single highly reticulated peripheral mitochondrion containing a large amount of mitochondrial DNA, with lamellar cristae. The cytopharyngeal complex and flagellar pocket are contiguous and have separate openings. Two parallel flagella are inserted sub-apically into a pronounced flagellar pocket. Rhynchopus species have their flagella concealed in trophic stages and fully developed in swimming stages, while they permanently protrude in all other known diplonemid species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diplonemids are a group of flagellate protists, that belong to the phylum Euglenozoa alongside euglenids, symbiontids and kinetoplastids. They primarily inhabit marine environments, though are also found in freshwater lakes. Diplonemids have been considered as rare and unimportant eukaryotes for over a century, with only a handful of species described until recently. However, thanks to their unprecedented diversity and abundance in the world oceans, diplonemids now attract increased attention. Recent improvements in isolation and cultivation have enabled characterization of several new genera, warranting a re-examination of all available knowledge gathered so far. Here we summarize available data on diplonemids, focusing on the recent advances in the fields of diversity, ecology, genomics, metabolism, and endosymbionts. We illustrate the life stages of cultivated genera, and summarise all reported interspecies associations, which in turn suggest lifestyles of predation and parasitism. This review also includes the latest classification of diplonemids, with a taxonomic revision of the genus Diplonema. Ongoing efforts to sequence various diplonemids suggest the presence of large and complex genomes, which correlate with the metabolic versatility observed in the model species Paradiplonema papillatum. Finally, we highlight its successful transformation into one of few genetically tractable marine protists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]