Amastigomonas
Introduction '''''Amastigomonas''''' is a genus of protists belonging to a lineage of biciliated zooflagellates known as Apusomonadida. It was first described in 1931 by Henri de Saedeleer. The current use of ''Amastigomonas'' is as a descriptive archetype, with no phylogenetic or taxonomic implications. The term "''Amastigomonas''-like" is used to refer to all apusomonads that lack the 'derived' characteristics of ''Apusomonas''.
Description Organisms under the name "''Amastigomonas''" have an oval or oblong cell that can generate pseudopodia from the ventral surface. They lack a mastigophore, a projection of the cell body that contains both basal bodies at its end. Like all Apusomonadida, they have two flagella, and the anterior flagellum is surrounded by a membranous sleeve.
Current use of the name Historically, the name ''Amastigomonas'' was used for any apusomonad species that had 'primitive' characteristics compared to the more 'derived' characteristics of ''Apusomonas''. Molecular phylogenetic analyses have shown that ''Apusomonas'' branches inside ''Amastigomonas'', making this genus paraphyletic. As a result, many species of ''Amastigomonas'' have been reassigned to new genera—''Thecamonas'', ''Podomonas'', ''Manchomonas'', ''Multimonas'', ''Chelonemonas'', ''Catacumbia'', ''Cavaliersmithia'', ''Karpovia'', ''Mylnikovia'' and ''Singekia''—, and no currently cultured apusomonad matches the original description of ''Amastigomonas''.
Species and distribution *''Amastigomonas caudata''  (marine strain, possibly related to ''Multimonas''). *''Amastigomonas debruynei''  (synonymized into ''Thecamonas trahens'' )*''Amastigomonas marisrubri''
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