Opalinata

Slopalines with numerous flagella in kineties.

Slopalines embrace a handful of genera of endocommensal flagellates occurring mostly in the posterior regions of the intestines of cold-blooded vertebrates, mostly Anura; two families, the larger (mostly > 100 µm) Opalinidae and the Proteromonadidae; Opalinidae are with large numbers of flagella in rows, fairly speciose with about 400 species which have been described in amphibia, reptiles, freshwater and marine fish and in a few invertebrates; proteromonads with 2 or 4 flagella; both families have simnilar flagellar organization and the cell surface is underlain by a cortex of evenly spaced microtubules; Proteromonas has tripartite hairs attached to the posterior end of the body which establish the affinity with the chrysophyte algae and other stramenopiles; world-wide distribution; life cycle that is linked with sexual and asexual phases linked to life history of host;