| Txikispora | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| (unranked): | Filozoa |
| Class: | Filasterea |
| Family: | Txikisporidae |
| Genus: | Txikispora |
| Species: | T. philomaios
|
| Binomial name | |
| Txikispora philomaios Urrutia, Feist & Bass
| |
Txikispora is a genus of parasitic protists made up solely of the species Txikispora philomaios. It is the only genus in the family Txikisporidae, which is a member of the class Filasterea and is closely related to Ministeriidae. The lineage was first described in 2022 based on specimens identified from the United Kingdom. The species represents a previously undiscovered type of life that diverged extremely early from animals and fungi.[1] It parasitizes amphipods in the genera Echinogammarus and Orchestia and most frequently infects their hemolymph and hemocytes.
- ^ "Txikispora philomaios, a parasite that will help to explain the origin of animal multicellularity". ScienceDaily. 28 January 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2024.