Genus Amoeba Bory de St. Vincent, 1822
Diagnosis: locomotive cells commonly polypodial, with several tubular pseudopodia with hemispherical tips and usually hyaline caps; one pseudopodium dominant at one time, often with ectoplasmic ridges; monopodial in rapid locomotion; nucleus single, granular in most described species; resting cells irregularly rounded, floating form with long radiating pseudopodia; cytoplasm often with truncated bipyramidal crystals; posterior uroid morulate.
Ecology: Freshwater. In all kind of water types.
Key to the species:
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1 |
Nucleus large, mean 40 µm, discoid, often biconcave |
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- |
Nucleus smaller, spherical, ovoid or compressed |
2 |
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2 |
Nucleus compressed spherical, ovoid or lens-shaped, mean 29 µm; crystals mainly squared |
A. borokensis |
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Nucleus spherical, often slightly compressed; numerous bipyramidal crystals |
