Family Symbiidae
Pandoras
Pandora
This bizarre phylum was first discovered in 1993, feeding on the mouthparts of a Norway lobster. Only one species is known and has been labeled the pandora. This small creature (at the largest only 350 um - smaller than a period) has a complex life cycle in which several different sessile and free-swimming stages are known. Pandoras are most noted for their circular mouth, which is surrounded by fine cilia. Indeed, Cycliophora means "carrying a small wheel".
Pandoras have a complete digestive tract. The S-shaped esophagus leads to the stomach cells, after which lie the rectum and anus. Pandoras reproduce both sexually and asexually. Males are much smaller than females and lack a digestive tract. They appear only when the lobster is about to moult, and have the soul purpose of breeding. This is evidenced by their having two penises.
There is one class with one species:
There is one order:
There is one family:
Eucycliophora (pandoras) 1 spp Symbiida (pandoras) 1 spp Symbiidae (pandoras) 1 spp
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