Scientists have found voracious aggressive micropredators in the Black Sea

They have two flagella and a groove

A new group of micropredators was discovered by biologists of the Institute. Belozersky Moscow State University and the Institute of Biology of Inland Waters of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Aggressive and voracious unicellular called Provora.

There was a time when scientists were not able to determine the relationship of individual types of microorganisms. Thus, kelp, radiolaria, ciliates and malarial plasmodium were combined into a single segment of eukaryotes (living organisms that have a nucleus in their cells) only at the beginning of the 21st century, when more advanced methods of molecular genetic analysis appeared.

As MK was told at Moscow State University, in a similar way, biologists found other groups of organisms with little resemblance, calling them supergroups. Now, instead of the former kingdoms of plants, fungi and animals, biologists classify biological species using 10 eukaryotic supergroups, for example, such as Opisthokonta, Excavata, SAR, etc. New eukaryotic species are periodically added to them, but now several types of protozoa have been discovered by Russian biologists , which do not fit into any of the existing supergroups.

The creatures found are fast-floating rounded cells a few microns in size. They have two flagella and a small groove that functions as a mouth. They were identified in a new supergroup of unicellular called Provora. They feed on other unicellular organisms, using extrusomes to attack – parts of the cell that work like a harpoon. At the same time, Provora can be much smaller than its victim. With microtubules in her mouth, she is able to bite off, like teeth, parts from the victim’s cell.

Provora species have been found in common seawater samples from the Red, Black, Caribbean, Pacific, and Arctic Oceans.