Blepharismidae
Family of protists
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Blepharismidae is a family of unicellular ciliate protists found in fresh and salt water. Two genera are recognized: Blepharisma, which contains some model organisms, and Pseudoblepharisma (monotypic in most sources)[1][2]
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| Blepharismidae | |
|---|---|
| |
| Blepharisma hyalinum | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Clade: | Sar |
| Clade: | Alveolata |
| Phylum: | Ciliophora |
| Class: | Heterotrichea |
| Order: | Heterotrichida |
| Family: | Blepharismidae Jankowski in Small & Lynn, 1985 |
| Species[1] | |
| |
Parablepharisma was part of the family, but more careful inspection (morphological and molecular) has placed it in a separate class distinct from the heterotrichs.[3] Acquisition of ribosomal sequences from Pseudoblepharisma in 2021 and 2022 also produces phylogenetic results incongruent with current taxonomy, instead placing the genus sister to Spirostomum.[4]