
Deuteramoeba mycophaga (Pussard et al., 1980) Page, 1988
Basionym: Cashia mycophaga Pussard et al., 1980
Syn.: Trichamoeba mycophaga Chakraborty and Old, 1986
Diagnosis: Amoebae palmate to elongate, predominantly polytactic but may be monotactic in continuous locomotion, appearing tubular or clavate with a villous-bulb uroid. Hyaline ectoplasmic cap on pseudopodia and at advancing margin of monotactic cells. Endoplasm highly granular with many small elongate spindle-shaped and larger trunated bipyramidal crystals up to 2.5 µm long. Usually a single contractile vacuole, 3-15 µm in diameter, located in the posterior region of the cell. Amoebae uninucleate with spherical to oval nuclei, 12-20 µm in diameter, with central nucleolus, oval to elongate. This nucleolus can be homogenous, with or without lacunae, or composed of some more or less spherical fragments. Double-wall cysts rounded to oval, ecto- and endocyst walls separated by amorphous material several um in thickness.
Dimensions: 45-180 µm, mean 110 µm long and 25-94 µm wide. Cysts rounded to oval, 21-60 µm in diameter, nucleus 12-26 µm in diameter.
Habitat: Soil. Feeding on fungal spores and bacteria. Europe, Canada and Australia.
Remarks: Amoebae in locomotion often appear palmate to elongate in shape. A slender tubular shape typical of the so-called “limax” form also frequently occurs. A distinctive floating form has not been observed. The uroid appears to be ectoplasmic and is often connected to the main body of the limax trophozoite by a narrow isthmus.
References:
Pussard M., Alabouvette C., Lemaitre I. and Pons R. 1980. Une nouvelle amibe mycophage endogee Cashia mycophaga n. sp. (Hartmannellidae, Amoebida). Protistologica 16: 443-451.
Page F.C. 1988. A New Key to Freshwater and soil Gymnamoebae. FBA, Ambleside. 122p.
Chakraborty, S. and Old, K.M., 1986. Ultrastructure and description of a fungus-feeding amoeba, Trichamoeba mycophaga n. sp. (Amoebidae, Amoebea), from Australia. J. Protozoology 33, 564-9.

