Biology, Diversity and Ecology of Free-Living Heterotrophic Flagellates

The free-living heterotrophic flagellates are phylogenetically very diverse, and their phylogenetic diversity is nearly equal to that of all eukaryotes. They constitute the microbial loop together with bacteria and other protists, and play an indispensable and important role in aquatic ecosystems. However, their diversity has not been fully understood. In addition, recent environmental DNA studies suggest that there are many unidentified heterotrophic flagellate lineages in nature. This chapter describes the current knowledge on the diversity, biology and ecology of various groups of free-living heterotrophic flagellates.