Moramonas

Moramonas (from Latin mora 'delay' and Greek monás 'unit') is a genus of freely swimming jakobid flagellates. It contains a single species, M. marocensis (from Latin Marocum 'Morocco'), which was isolated from a desert soil sample collected near Zagora, Morocco. It is classified in the family Moramonadidae along with an undescribed jakobid, ‘Seculomonas ecuadoriensis’, in the suborder Histionina.

Moramonas presents morphological traits commonly seen in other jakobids. Its cells have two flagella inserted at the anterior region, of which the posterior has one vane with striations. A dorsal 'fan' that supports much of the cell arises from near the basal body of the anterior flagellum. Several microtubule roots arise close to the basal body of the posterior flagellum and support the ventral groove, a structure used for ingesting bacteria. However, its cells include three spherical mitochondria, unlike all other jakobids which have fewer mitochondria. It also differs from other jakobids in the absence of a lorica (present in the closely related Reclinomonas and Histiona) and the presence of a paranuclear body (seen elsewhere only in Andalucia godoyi).