Katablepharid
| Katablepharid | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Light (above) and transmission electron (below) micrographs of Roombia truncata | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Clade: | Cryptista |
| Clade: | Rollomonadia Okamoto & Inouye 2005 |
| Class: | Kathablepharidea Okamoto & Inouye 2005 |
| Order: | Kathablepharidida Okamoto & Inouye 2005 |
| Family: | Kathablepharidae Skuja 1939 |
| Type genus | |
| Kathablepharis Skuja 1939 | |
| Genera | |
| Synonyms | |
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The kathablepharids or katablepharids (from Greek kata 'downwards' and blepharis 'eyelash') are a group of heterotrophic flagellates closely related to cryptomonads. First described by Heinrich Leonhards Skuja in 1939, kathablepharids were named after the genus Kathablepharis. This genus is corrected to Katablepharis under botanical nomenclature, but the original spelling is maintained under zoological nomenclature. They are single-celled protists with two anteriorly directed flagella, an anterior cytostome for ingesting eukaryotic prey, and a sheath that covers the cell membrane. They have extrusomes known as ejectisomes, as well as tubular mitochondrial cristae.