Family Trichoplacidae
Trichoplax
Trichoplax adhaerens
Trichoplax reptans
This small phylum contains two known species of amoeba-like animals known as Trichoplax. First discovered in 1880 living on the glass wall of a European lab's aquarium, little has been discovered about this animal as it has never been found in the wild.
Trichoplax are round in shape and covered in cilia. They are composed of a few thousand cells, and contain the least amount of DNA of any animal discovered. They appear to be predators, feeding on rotifers in laboratory experiments. Trichoplax reproduce asexually through either binary fission (the division of the cells into two equal parts) or by budding (the division of the cells into two unequal parts). Some experiments suggest sexual reproduction may occur.
Trichoplax adhaerens, discovered in 1880, has since been found throughout the tropical and subtropical world in various aquariums in Hawaii, Japan, Australia, Papua New Guinea, and other such countries. The second species, Trichoplax reptans, hasn't been seen since its discovery in 1896, and some scientists doubt as to its existence.
Since this phylum is so small, there is no class or order assigned to it. There is one family:
Trichoplacidae (Trichoplax) 2 spp
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