The Vitreoscillaceae: A Family of Colourless, Gliding, Filamentous Organisms

SUMMARY: A new family, the Vitreoscillaceae, is proposed for a group of microorganisms which are characterized by their colourless, gliding trichomes. The family has certain affinities with myxobacteria and still more with colourless myxophyceae, especially with the Beggiatoaceae. Two genera, Vitreoscilla and Microscilla and seven species are described, three species tentatively referred to Vitreoscilla, two to Microscilla, and two other genera are provisionally named.