Labyrinthula

The genus Labyrinthula is part of the group Labyrinthulomycetes and contains thirteen species. The major feature of this genus is the formation of an ectoplasmic net secreted by specialized organelles called bothrosomes which surrounds the colony, which is also used by Labyrinthula for moving. The protist reproduces by zoosporulation as it sets some flagellated spores free from a sporangium. Zoospores prove the belonging of Labyrinthula in the Heterokont phylum due to the distinct flagellar morphology, in which the anterior one is covered in mastigonemes. The interest in Labyrinthula arose as it has been identified as the cause of the 'wasting disease', which led to the death of more than 90% of the seagrass population of the North Atlantic coast in the early 1930s.