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Meteora sporadica
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.[1] References
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