Description of the family Padaungiellidae and morphological variability of Padaungiella lageniformis (Amoebozoides: Arcellinida) from the Vlasina Lake area, Serbia

Based on theoretical conclusions, a new family of testate amoebae, Padaungiellidae, is described. It includes three genera: Alocodera, Apodera and Padaungiella. The most striking characteristic of the members of this family is an elongated neck, and absence of sets of teeth and septa along the oral-aboral axis on the inner side of the neck. The most common species of this family is Padaungiella lageniformis. Morphometrically, this species is not analyzed yet, so the qualitative and quantitative characters of a sphagnicolous population of P. lageniformis from the Vlasina Lake area (Serbia) are reported here. Quantitative characters were analyzed by univariate statistical methods. Coefficients of variation were moderately low for all the measured characters (range from 4.37 to 10.71%). Frequency distribution of only seven of sixteen variables showed approximately zero level of kurtosis, which indicated that specimens with average measurements were not predominant in the studied population. This paper provides evidence of the presence of an aberrant form of P. lageniformis