Hyphochytrids are

eukaryotic Eukaryotes () are organisms whose cells have a nucleus. All animals, plants, fungi, and many unicellular organisms, are Eukaryotes. They belong to the group of organisms Eukaryota or Eukarya, which is one of the three domains of life. Bact ...

organisms in the group of Stramenopiles (Heterokonta).

Characteristics

They are distinguished by an anterior tinsel flagellum on their zoospores. Also they have a rhizoidal or hypha-like vegetative system (hence the prefix "Hypho-").

Classification

This group may be put alternatively at the phylum, class, subclass or order level, being referred to as Hyphochytriomycota, Hyphochytriomycetes (or Hyphochytrea), Hyphochytriomycetidae (or Hyphochytridae) and Hyphochytriales, respectively. The variants Hyphochytri''di''omycota and Hyphochytri''di''omycetes are also sometimes used, presumably by analogy to the Chytridiomycetes, or due to the perpetuation of a typographical error. However, the stem is Hyphochytri- (from ''

Hyphochytrium ''Hyphochytrium'' is a genus of Hyphochytriomycetes Hyphochytrids are eukaryotic organisms in the group of Stramenopiles (Heterokonta). Characteristics They are distinguished by an anterior tinsel flagellum on their zoospores. Also they have ...

'') and not Hyphochytridi- (from '' Chytridium''). In the past the classes Hyphochytridiomycetes,

Oomycetes Oomycota forms a distinct phylogenetic lineage of fungus-like eukaryotic microorganisms, called oomycetes (). They are filamentous and heterotrophic, and can reproduce both sexually and asexually. Sexual reproduction of an oospore is the resu ...

and

Chytridiomycetes Chytridiomycetes () is a class of fungi. Members are found in soil, fresh water, and saline estuaries. They are first known from the Rhynie chert. It has recently been redefined to exclude the taxa Neocallimastigomycota and Monoblepharidomyc ...

were grouped together in the now obsolete taxon

Mastigomycotina Mastigomycotina is a former polyphyletic taxonomic grouping, a subdivision, of fungi, similar to Phycomycetes, and that included the zoosporic classes Chytridiomycetes, Hyphochytriomycetes, Plasmodiophoromycetes and Oomycetes. General features o ...

as fungi with flagellate spores or gametes. Now the Chytridiomycetes are still considered true fungi, but the other two sub-groups are classified in the kingdom

Protista A protist () is any eukaryotic organism (that is, an organism whose cells contain a cell nucleus) that is not an animal, plant, or fungus. While it is likely that protists share a common ancestor (the last eukaryotic common ancestor), the e ...

, or in the group Stramenopiles. Hyphochytriomycetes are closely related to

. Order Hyphochytriales Bessey 1950 ex Sparrow 1960 * Family

Hyphochytriaceae Hyphochytriaceae is a polycentric and endobiotic {{Short pages monitor