Morphological Description of Telaepolella tubasferens n. g., n. sp., Isolate ATCC© 50593™, a Filose Amoeba in the Gracilipodida, Amoebozoa

We describe the amoeboid isolate ATCC© 50593™ as a new taxon, Telaepolella tubasferens n. gen. n. sp. This multinucleated amoeba has filose pseudopods and is superficially similar to members of the vampyrellids (Rhizaria) such as Arachnula impatiens Cienkowski, 1876, which was the original identification upon deposition. However, previous multigene analyses place this taxon within the Gracilipodida Lahr & Katz 2011 in the Amoebozoa. Here, we document the morphology of this organism at multiple life history stages and describe data underlying the description as a new taxon. We demonstrate that T. tubaspherens is distinct from Arachnula and other rhizarians (Theratromyxa, Leptophrys) in a suite of morphological characters such as general body shape, relative size of pseudopods, distinction of ecto- and endoplasmic regions, and visibility of nuclei in non-stained cells (an important diagnostic character). Although Amoebozoa taxa generally have lobose pseudopods, genera in Gracilipodida such as Flamella and Filamoeba as well as several organisms previously classified as protosteloid amoebae (e.g. schizoplasmodiis, cavosteliids and Stemonitales) present filose pseudopodia. Thus, classification of amoeboid organisms merely by filose-lobose distinction must be reconsidered