Ploeotids Represent Much of the Phylogenetic Diversity of Euglenids

Ploeotids are an assemblage of rigid phagotrophic euglenids that have 10–12 pellicular strips and glide on their posterior flagellum. Molecular phylogenies place them as a poorly resolved, likely paraphyletic assemblage outside the Spirocuta clade of flexible euglenids, which includes the well-known phototrophs and primary osmotrophs. Here, we report SSU rRNA gene sequences from 38 ploeotids, using both single-cell and culture-based methods....