The genus ''Aplanochytrium'' is part of the class
Labyrinthulomycetes. It is a sister genus of ''
Labyrinthula'' and
thraustochytrids. The major characteristic of all three genera is the production of an extension of the
plasma membrane and the ectoplasm called the
ectoplasmic net, but its use is different in each genera. ''Aplanochytrium'' cells are not embedded in the ectoplasmic net but can move by gliding on the ectoplasmic threads.
Cells of the genus ''Aplanochytrium'' multiply by forming