''Katablepharis'' (alternative spelling ''Kathablepharis'') is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of single-celled

eukaryote 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. Bacte ...

s comprising five to six

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

. They are

heterotrophic A heterotroph (; ) is an organism that cannot produce its own food, instead taking nutrition from other sources of organic carbon, mainly plant or animal matter. In the food chain, heterotrophs are primary, secondary and tertiary consumers, but ...

and live in both

freshwater Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the term specifically excludes seawater and brackish water, it does include ...

and

seawater Seawater, or salt water, is water from a sea or ocean. On average, seawater in the world's oceans has a salinity of about 3.5% (35 g/L, 35 ppt, 600 mM). This means that every kilogram (roughly one liter by volume) of seawater has appro ...

. They have two

flagella A flagellum (; ) is a hairlike appendage that protrudes from certain plant and animal sperm cells, and from a wide range of microorganisms to provide motility. Many protists with flagella are termed as flagellates. A microorganism may have f ...

and a feeding apparatus consisting of a mouth and two arrays of

microtubule Microtubules are polymers of tubulin that form part of the cytoskeleton and provide structure and shape to eukaryotic cells. Microtubules can be as long as 50 micrometres, as wide as 23 to 27 nm and have an inner diameter between 11 an ...

s (one inside the other).

Etymology

It derives its name from the

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

words ''κατά (kata)'' (downwards) and ''βλεφαρίς (blepharis)'' (

eyelash An eyelash (also called lash) (Latin: ''Cilia'') is one of the hairs that grows at the edge of the eyelids. It grows in one layer on the edge of the upper and lower eyelids. Eyelashes protect the eye from debris, dust, and small particles and p ...

Species

This is a partial list. * '' K. japonica'' Okamoto & Inouye 2005 * '' K. obesa'' Barlow & Kugrens 2002 * '' K. tenuis'' Barlow & Kugrens 2002 * '' K. hyalurus'' Skuja 1939 * '' K. notonectoides'' Skuja 1948 * '' K. oblonga'' Skuja 1939 * '' K. ovalis'' Skuja 1948 * '' K. phoenikoston'' Skuja 1939 * '' K. remigera'' (Vørs 1992) Clay & Kugrens 1999 .html" ;"title="'Leucocryptos remigera'' Vørs 1992">'Leucocryptos remigera'' Vørs 1992

References

Hacrobia genera Katablepharida {{Hacrobia-stub