Syssomonas

Syssomonas is a monotypic genus of unicellular flagellated protists containing the species Syssomonas multiformis. It is a member of Pluriformea inside the lineage of Holozoa, a clade containing animals and their closest protistan relatives. It lives in freshwater habitats. It has a complex life cycle that includes unicellular amoeboid and flagellated phases, as well as multicellular aggregates, depending on the growth medium and nutritional state.

== Life stages == Syssomonas multiformis is a species of unicellular protists with naked cells (lacking any shell or scales) that presents with a variety of life forms during their complex life cycle. These forms include: round flagellate cells (7–14 μm in diameter) with one posterior flagellum, amoeboflagellate (i.e. with both flagella and pseudopodia) cells, amoeboid non-flagellar cells, and spherical cysts. They can also form clusters of multiple cells.