shebanglauseella

Shebanglauseella is a genus of unicellular, photosynthetic protists in the green algae lineage. It currently comprises a single described species, Shebanglauseella noctis, and has been observed in freshwater habitats across temperate regions of Europe and North America. The organism is typically 6–12 micrometers in length and appears as an oval to elongated cell when observed under light microscopy.

Morphology and physiology: It is motile, with two flagella of unequal length positioned at the anterior end; a single cup-shaped chloroplast containing chlorophylls a and b; an eyespot; a small nucleus; and a flexible pellicle rather than a rigid cell wall. Reproduction occurs primarily by binary fission; occasional cyst formation under stress.

Habitat and ecology: It inhabits the littoral zones of calm freshwater bodies, often associated with aquatic vegetation and organic matter. It tolerates a range of temperatures from 12 to 25 C and can appear in both well-oxygenated and mildly meromictic environments. It is generally photosynthetically active during daylight hours and can supplement energy via phagotrophy on bacteria when light is limited.

Taxonomy and phylogeny: Within Chlorophyta, Shebanglauseella is placed in a basal lineage of green protists, sharing features with several early-diverging chlorophyte genera. The genus is monophyletic, with S. noctis as the only described member. Molecular analysis of ribosomal RNA genes supports its separation from closely related genera.

Discovery and etymology: The genus was described in 2023 by researchers Li and Ortega following a freshwater survey that employed automated data-processing pipelines; the name combines the colloquial term 'shebang' with the Latin diminutive suffix -ella, reflecting the 'whole-package' discovery of a distinct organism in a single study. The species epithet noctis refers to the organism's tendency to persist at low-light conditions in laboratory simulations.