Stephanopogon

Stephanopogon closely resembles certain ciliates and was originally classified with them (,[1] but is now considered related to heterolobosean flagellates.The cell is somewhat flattened, with multiple smooth flagella arranged in rows running from the front to the back, and has an anterior mouth supported by rods.Because nuclear dimorphism is absent, Stephanopogon had been regarded as an evolutionary intermediate between the ciliates and other protozoa, and possibly an ancestor of the animals as well.Corliss and Lipscomb showed that it is not cytologically similar to ciliates, lacking their complex pellicle and infraciliature.The bases of the flagella in both genera are attached to an electron dense cytoskeletal material,[5] but it has been argued that this is not an apomorphy of the clade [6] It has recently been included as a heterolosean in the class Percolatea, along with Percolomonas.
Light microscope image of living Stephanopogon
Line drawing of oral and somatic cytoskeletal elements of Stephanopogon apogon showing, to the left, the opening of the mouth, and extending from it lines of flaglla that are attached to long strips of cytoskeletal material, and are anchored to the cell surface by cones of microtubules. Small sac-like organelles are associated with the oral region of the cell.
Scientific classificationEukaryotaExcavataPercolozoaPercolateaType speciesprotistciliatesflagellatesbacteriadiatomsnucleimacronucleimicronucleinuclear dimorphismPercolomonasDomainDiaphoretickesAmorpheaDiscobaJakobeaJakobidaAndaluciidaeHistionidaeJakobidaeStygiellidaeTsukubeaTsukubamonadidaTsukubamonadidaeDiscicristataNeovahlkampfiidaeGruberellidaeHeteroloboseaAcrasidaAcrasidaeNaegleriidaVahlkampfiidaePercolomonadidaStephanopogonidaeEuglenozoaPostgaardiaPostgaardeaPostgaardidaCalkinsiidaePostgaardidaeGlycomonadaDiplonemeaDiplonemidaDiplonemidaeKinetoplasteaBodonidaBodonidaeTrypanosomatidaTrypanosomatidaeEuglenidaHemioliaLiburnaAnisonemidaAnisonemidaeNeometanemidaePeranemataceaeEuglenophyceaeRapazidaeEutreptiaceaeEuglenalesEuglenaceaeLoukozoaNeoloukaMalawimonadeaMalawimonadidaImasidaeMalawimonadidaeAncyromonadidaMetamonadaAnaeromonadaAnaeromonadeaTrimastigidaeOxymonadidaTrichozoaAnaeramoebidaeFornicataCarpediemonadeaCarpediemonadidaCarpediemonadidaeDiplomonadidaDysnectidaeRetortamonadidaChilomastigidaeRetortamonadidaeParabasaliaTrichomonadidaTrichomonadidaeTrichonymphidaWikidataWikispeciesOpen Tree of Life