diplonema (excavate) diplonema (excavate) diplonema is a genus of free-living organisms in the euglenozoa. they are distinguished from rhynchopus in class diplonemea by the absence of a fully flagellate dispersive stage. diplonema scanning electron micrograph of diplonema papillatum scientific classification domain: eukaryota (unranked): excavata phylum: euglenozoa class: diplonemea order: diplonemida family: diplonemidae genus: diplonemagriessmann 1913 type species diplonema breviciliatagriessman 1913 species d. aggregata tashyreva et al. 2018 d. ambulator larsen & patterson 1990 d. breviciliata griessman 1913 d. japonica tashyreva et al. 2018 d. nigricans (schuster, goldstein & hershenow 1968) triemer & ott 1990 d. papillatum (porter 1973) triemer & ott 1990 d. metabolicum larsen & patterson1990 synonyms isonema schuster, goldstein & hershenow 1968 non brown non cassini 1817 non maas 1909 non meek & worthen 1865 non hall 1891 lackeymonas skvortzov 1969 teixeiramonas skvortzov 1969 ?flagellamonas skvortzov 1969 ?kolbeana skvortzov 1966 ex skvortzov 1972 ?lowymonas skvortzov 1969 ?milaneziamonas skvortzov 1969 ?spira skvortzov 1969 non bastian 1865 non brown 1844 characteristics diplonema feature two short flagella of equal length and two subapical openings. most are free living, but there have been reported cases of infection in clams and sudden decomposition of aquarium plants. it was described initially in 1914 and later rediscovered in the 60s and called isonema, wrongly classified among euglenids.