A new family of amoebae with fine pseudopodia

A new family, the Echinamoebidae, is proposed within the order Amoebida (Protozoa, Sarcodina) for amoebae producing finely-pointed, non-anastomosing pseudopodia. Within this family two new genera, Echinamoeba and Stachyamoeba , are defined and two new species of edaphic origin described. The genus Filamoeba Page, 1967, is transferred to the Echinamoebidae, but further comparative studies are desirable before other genera are included. The varieties of conical sub-pseudopodia are examined, and some of the general criteria for taxonomy of the Amoebida are discussed as they apply to the Echinamoebidae.