''Hexamita'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of
parasitic
Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson ha ...
diplomonad
The diplomonads (Greek for "two units") are a group of flagellates, most of which are parasitic. They include ''Giardia duodenalis'', which causes giardiasis in humans. They are placed among the metamonads, and appear to be particularly close ...
s. It is related to ''
Giardia''.
''H. columbae'' and ''H. meleagridis'' live in the intestines of birds.
''H. muris'' and ''H. pitheci'' live in the intestines of mammals.
''H. salmonis'' and ''H. truttae'' live in the intestines of fish.
The genus also includes the species ''
Hexamita inflata
''Hexamita'' is a genus of parasitic
Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way o ...
''.
It is believed that ''Hexamita'' parasites are one possible cause for
head and lateral line erosion ("hole-in-the-head disease") in aquarium fishes.
References
External links
* http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Hexamita
*
* http://www.lexic.us/definition-of/Hexamita
Metamonads
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