Meteora sporadica explained

Meteora sporadica is a mysterious free-living protozoan discovered in 2002 during sampling at a depth of 1,230 meters below sea level in the Sporades Basin, part of the Mediterranean Sea. So far it is the only species of the genus Meteora.^[1]

It was placed as Protista incertae sedis due to its unique morphology unlike any other group of protists.^[1] Two decades later, a 2022 phylogenetic analysis of Meteora still was not able to solidly relate it to any known group of eukaryotes, suggesting that it could be a new high-level eukaryotic group.^[2] In 2024 it was revealed to be related to Hemimastigophora.^[3]

The cell body is colorless and ovular. It ranges between 3.0 and 4.4 μm in length and 2.0–4.0 μm in width. It has two lateral arm-like appendages and two axial appendages. The lateral appendages move independently of each other in a rowing motion.^[4]

Notes and References

1. 10.1078/0932-4739-00872. Meteora sporadica gen. nov. et sp. nov. (Protista incertae sedis) – an extraordinary free-living protist from the Mediterranean deep sea. Eur. J. Protistol.. 38. 171–177. 2002. Hausmann K, Weitere M, Wolf M, Arndt H. 2 .
2. Luis Javier. Galindo. Purificación. López-García. David. Moreira. First Molecular Characterization of the Elusive Marine Protist Meteora sporadica. Protist. 173. 4. 2022. 125896. 1434-4610. 10.1016/j.protis.2022.125896. 35841658 . 250059723 . free.
3. Eglit . Yana . Shiratori . Takashi . Jerlström-Hultqvist . Jon . Williamson . Kelsey . Roger . Andrew J. . Ishida . Ken-Ichiro . Simpson . Alastair G.B. . Meteora sporadica, a protist with incredible cell architecture, is related to Hemimastigophora . Current Biology . January 2024 . 34 . 2 . 451–459.e6 . 10.1016/j.cub.2023.12.032 . 38262350.
4. 10.1078/0932-4739-00872. Meteora sporadica gen. nov. et sp. nov. (Protista incertae sedis) – an extraordinary free-living protist from the Mediterranean deep sea. Eur. J. Protistol.. 38. 171–177. 2002. Hausmann K, Weitere M, Wolf M, Arndt H. 2 .