Protist classification

A protist () is any eukaryotic organism (one with cells containing a nucleus) that is not an animal, plant, or fungus. The protists do not form a natural group, or clade, since they exclude certain eukaryotes with whom they share a common ancestor; but, like algae or invertebrates, the grouping is used for convenience. In some systems of biological classification, such as the five-kingdom scheme proposed by Robert Whittaker in 1969, the protists make up a kingdom called Protista, composed of "organisms which are unicellular or unicellular-colonial and which form no tissues". In the 21st century, the classification shifted toward a phylogenetic classification of protists.

The following groups contain protists. The clade Opisthokonta also contains the animals and the fungi, and the Archaeplastida also contains plants.

Cavalier-Smith's classification Thomas Cavalier-Smith and his collaborators use a fully rank-based classification of protists. Here is their classification, non-protists are shown in bold:

Superkingdom Corticata Kingdom Chromista Subkingdom Hacrobia Phylum Cryptista Subphylum Endohelia Class Endohelea Order Axomonadida Order Microhelida Subphylum Palpitia Class Palpitea Order Palpitida Subphylum Rollomonadia Superclass Cryptomonada Class Cryptophyceae Order Cryptomonadales Order Pyrenomonadales Order Tetragonidiales Class Goniomonadea Order Goniomonadida Order Hemiarmida Superclass Leucocrypta Class Leucocryptea Order Kathablepharida Phylum Haptista Subphylum Alveidia Class Alveidea Subphylum Haptophytina Class Coccolithophyceae Order Coccolithales Order Coccosphaerales Order Isochrysidales Order Phaeocystales Order Prymnesiales Order Syracosphaerales Order Zygodiscales Class Pavlovophyceae Order Pavlovales Class Rappephyceae Subphylum Heliozoa Class Centrohelea Order Acanthocystida Order Pterocystida Subkingdom Harosa Infrakingdom Halvaria Superphylum Alveolata Phylum Ciliophora Subphylum Intramacronucleata Infraphylum Protocruzia Class Protocruzea Infraphylum Spirotrichia Class Armophorea Order Armophorida Order Clevelandellida Class Cariacotrichea Order Cariacotrichida Class Litostomatea Subclass Haptoria Order Cyclotrichiida Order Haptorida Order Pleurostomatida Subclass Trichostomatia Order Entodiniomorphida Order Macropodiniida Order Vestibuliferida Class Spirotrichea Subclass Choreotrichia Order Tintinnida Subclass Hypotrichia Order Euplotida Order Kiitrichida Subclass Licnophoria Order Licnophorida Subclass Oligotrichia Order Strombidiida Subclass Protocruziidia Order Phacodiniida Order Protocruziida Subclass Stichotrichia Order Sporadotrichida Order Stichotrichida Order Urostylida Infraphylum Ventrata Class Colpodea Subclass Nassophoria Order Colpodidiida Order Microthoracida Order Nassulida Order Synhymeniida Order Bryometopida Order Bryophryida Order Bursariomorphida Order Colpodida Order Cyrtolophosidida Order Sorogenida Class Oligohymenophorea Subclass Apostomatia Order Apostomatida Order Astomatophorida Order Pilisuctorida Subclass Astomatia Order Astomatida Subclass Hymenostomatia Order Ophyroglenida Order Tetrahymenida Class Phyllopharyngea Subclass Chonotrichia Order Cryptogemmida Order Exogemmiida Subclass Cyrtophoria Order Chlamydodontida Order Dysteriida Subclass Rhynchodia Order Hypocomatida Order Rhynchodida Class Plagiopylea Order Odontostomatida Order Plagiopylida Class Prostomatea Order Prorodontida Order Prostomatida Subphylum Postciliodesmatophora Class Heterotrichea Order Heterotrichida Class Karyorelictea Order Loxodida Order Protoheterotrichida Order Protostomatida Phylum Miozoa Subphylum Myzozoa Infraphylum Apicomplexa Parvphylum Apicomonada Class Apicomonadea Subclass Myzomonadia Superorder Chromovoridia Order Algovorida Order Chromerida Order Voracida Order Voromonadida Superorder Paraconoidia Order Colpodellida Subclass Vitrelloidia Order Vitrellida Parvphylum Sporozoa Class Coccidiomorphea Subclass Coccidia Order Adeleida Order Eimeriida Order Ixorheida Subclass Hematozoa Superorder Aconoidia Order Nephromycida Order Piroplasmida Superorder Haemosporidia Order Haemosporida Class Gregarinomorphea Subclass Cryptogregaria Order Cryptogregarida Subclass Histogregaria Order Histogregarida Subclass Orthogregarinia Order Arthrogregarida Order Vermigregarida Class Paragregarea Order Archigregarinida Order Stenophorida Order Velocida Order Blastogregarinida Infraphylum Dinozoa Parvphylum Dinoflagellata Superclass Dinokaryota Class Peridinea Subclass Dinophycidae Infraclass Epidinia Order Torodinida Infraclass Gymnodinoidia Order Gymnodiniales Order Spirodinida Infraclass Peridinoidia Order Peridiniales Order Prorocentrales Order Actiniscales Order Blastodinales Order Coccidinales Order Dinamoebales Order Dinophysidales Order Gonyaulacales Order Lophodinales Order Nannoceratopsales Order Pyrocystales Order Thoracosphaerales Subclass Karlodinia Class Noctilucea Order Noctilucida Class Sulcodinea Order Amphidinida Order Gyrodinida Superclass Eodina Class Myzodinea Order Myzodinida Class Oxyrrhea Order Oxyrrhida Superclass Syndina Class Ellobiopsea Order Ellobiopsida Class Endodinea Order Ichthyodinida Class Syndinea Order Syndinida Parvphylum Perkinsozoa Class Perkinsea Order Perkinsida Order Rastrimonadida Order Acrocoelida Class Squirmidea Order Squirmida Subphylum Protalveolata Class Acavomonadea Order Acavomonadida Class Colponemea Order Colponemida Order Palustrimonadida Superphylum Heterokonta Phylum Bigyra Subphylum Opalozoa Infraphylum Bikosia Class Bikosea Subclass Bicosidia Order Anoecida Order Bicoecida Order Borokida Order Pseudodendromonadida Subclass Rictidia Order Rictida Infraphylum Placidozoa Superclass Opalinata Class Blastocystea Order Blastocystida Class Opalinea Order Opalinida Order Proteromonadida Superclass Wobblata Class Nanomonadea Order Uniciliatida Class Opalomonadea Class Placididea Order Placidida Subphylum Sagenista Class Eogyrea Order Eogyrida Class Labyrinthulea Order Amphitremida Order Labyrinthulida Order Thraustochytriida Class Platysulcea Order Platysulcida Phylum Gyrista Subphylum Bigyromonada Class Developea Order Developayellida Class Pirsonea Order Pirsoniida Subphylum Ochrophytina Infraphylum Chrysista Superclass Fucistia Class Aurophyceae Order Aurearenales Order Phaeothamniales Class "Chrysomerophyceae" Order Chrysomeridales Class Phaeophyceae Subclass Melanophycidae Order Ascoseirales Order Asterocladales Order Desmarestiales Order Discosporangiales Order Ectocarpales Order Fucales Order Ishigeales Order Laminariales Order Nemodermatales Order Phaeosiphoniellales Order Ralfsiales Order Scytothamnales Order Sporochnales Order Syringodermatales Order Tilopteridales Subclass Schizocladiophycidae Order Schizocladiales Class Xanthophyceae Order Mischococcales Order Pleurochloridellales Order Tribonematales Order Vaucheriales Superclass Limnistia Class Chrysomonadea Order Chloramoebales Order Chromulinales Order Chrysosphaerales Order Heterogloeales Order Hibberdiales Order Hydrurales Order Ochromonadales Order Paraphysomonadida Order Synurales Order Thallochrysidales Class Eustigmatophyceae Order Eustigmatales Class Picophagea Order Picophagales Order Synchromales Superclass Raphidoistia Class Raphidomonadea Subclass Raphidophycidae Order Raphidomonadales Subclass Raphopoda Order Actinophryida Order Commatiida Infraphylum Diatomista Superclass Hypogyrista Class Dictyochophyceae Subclass Pedinellia Order Dictyochales Order Pedinellales Subclass Pelagophycidae Order Pelagomonadales Order Sarcinochrysidales Subclass Sulcophycidae Order Olisthodiscales Class Pinguiophyceae Order Pinguiochrysidales Superclass Khakista Class Bolidophyceae Order Parmales Class Diatomeae Subclass Bacillariophycidae Subclass Corethrophycidae Subclass Eucentricophycidae Subclass Rhizosoleniophycidae Subphylum Pseudofungi Class Hyphochytrea Order Hyphochytriida Class Oomycetes Subclass Eogamia Order Anisolpidiales Order Haptoglossales Order Lagenismatales Order Olpidiopsidales Order Rozellopsidales Subclass Peronosporidae Order Peronosporales Order Pythiales Order Rhipidiales Subclass Saprolegniidae Order Albuginales Order Leptomitales Order Salilagenidiales Order Saprolegniales Infrakingdom Rhizaria Phylum Cercozoa Subphylum Monadofilosa Superclass Eoglissa Class Helkesea Order Helkesida Class Metromonadea Order Metromonadida Order Metopiida Superclass Ventrifilosa Class Imbricatea Subclass Krakenia Order Krakenida Subclass Placonuda Superorder Discomonada Order Discomonadida Superorder Euglyphia Order Euglyphida Order Zoelucasida Superorder Nudisarca Order Marimonadida Order Variglissida Subclass Placoperla Superorder Perlatia Order Perlofilida Order Spongomonadida Superorder Placofila Order Discocelida Order Thaumatomonadida Class Sarcomonadea Subclass Paracercomonadia Order Paracercomonadida Subclass Pediglissa Order Cercomonadida Order Glissomonadida Class Thecofilosea Subclass Eothecia Order Ebriida Order Cryomonadida Order Matazida Subclass Phaeodaria Order Eodarida Order Opaloconchida Subclass Tectosia Order Tectofilosida Subclass Ventricleftia Order Ventricleftida Subphylum Reticulofilosa Class Chlorarachnea Order Chlorarachnida Order Minorisida Class Granofilosea Order Cryptofilida Order Desmothoracida Order Heliomonadida Order Leucodictyida Order Limnofilida Class Skiomonadea Order Aquavolonida Order Tremulida Phylum Retaria Subphylum Ectoreta Infraphylum Foraminifera Class Globothalamea Order Carterinida Order Globeriginida Order Lagenida Order Lituolida Order Lofusiida Order Robertinida Order Rotaliida Order Testulariida Order Trochamminida Class Monothalamea Order Allogromiida Order Astrorhizida Order Psamminida Order Stannomida Class Tubothalamea Order Miliolida Order Spirillinida Infraphylum Radiozoa Class Acantharea Order Acanthoplegmida Order Arthracanthida Order Chaunacanthida Order Holacanthida Class Polycystinea Order Collodarida Order Nassellaria Order Spumellaria Infraphylum Sticholonchia Class Sticholonchea Order Taxopodida Subphylum Endomyxa Superclass Marimxyia Class Ascetosporea Order Claustrosporida Order Haplosporida Order Mikrocytida Order Paradinida Order Paramyxida Class Gromiidea Order Gromiida Order Reticulosida Superclass Proteomyxia Class Phytomyxea Order Phagomyxida Order Plasmodiophorida Class Vampyrellidea Order Vampyrellida Order Pseudosporida Infrakingdom Telonemia Phylum Telonemia Class Telonemea Order Telonemida Kingdom Plantae Subkingdom Biliphyta Infrakingdom Rhodaria Phylum Pararhoda Class Picomonadea Order Picomonadida Class Rhodelphea Order Rhodelphales Phylum Rhodophyta Subphylum Cyanidiophytina Class Cyanidiophyceae Order Cyanidiales Subphylum Eurhodophytina Class Bangiophyceae Order Bangiales Order Goniotrichales Class Florideophyceae Subclass Ahnfeltiophycidae Order Ahnfeltiales Order Pihiellales Subclass Corallinophycidae Order Corallinales Order Rhodogorgonales Order Sporolithales Subclass Hildenbrandiophyceae Order Hildenbrandiales Subclass Nemaliophycidae Order Acrochaetiales Order Balbianiales Order Balliales Order Batrachospermales Order Colaconematales Order Entwisleiales Order Nemaliales Order Palmariales Order Thoreales Subclass Rhodymeniophycidae Order Acrosymphytales Order Bonnemaisoniales Order Ceramiales Order Gelidiales Order Gigartinales Order Gracilariales Order Halymeniales Order Nemastomatales Order Peyssonneliales Order Plocamiales Order Rhodymeniales Order Sebdeniales Order Rhodachlyales Subphylum Metarhodophytina