Massisteria marina Larsen and Patterson, 1990

Diagnosis: organism with an irregular star-shaped body from which radiate thin pseudopodia with extrusomes. There are 2 inactive cilia. The organism is normally sedentary but, under adverse conditions, the arms are resorbed, the cilia become active, and the organism becomes a motile non-feeding ciliate.

Remarks: this small phagotrophic protist is associated with sediment particles and with suspended detrital material in littoral and oceanic marine waters. It has been found at sites around the world.

References: Patterson, D. J. and Fenchel, T.: Massisteria marina Larsen and Patterson 1990, a widespread and abundant bacterivorous protist associated with marine detritus. – Marine ecology progress series. Oldendorf  Vol. 62, no. 1-2, pp. 11-19. 1990.