Taxa

Apicomplexa

Phylum

Citation Formats

General Reference

Nature Atlas. "Apicomplexa." Accessed September 8, 2026. https://nature.interactiveatlas.org/taxa/phylum-apicomplexa.

APA Style

Nature Atlas. (n.d.). Apicomplexa. Retrieved September 8, 2026, from https://nature.interactiveatlas.org/taxa/phylum-apicomplexa

BibTeX

@misc{natureatlas-apicomplexa,
  author = {Nature Atlas},
  title = {Apicomplexa},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://nature.interactiveatlas.org/taxa/phylum-apicomplexa},
  note = {Accessed September 8, 2026}
}

A phylum of exclusively parasitic single-celled protists, named for a specialized cluster of organelles (the apical complex) used to penetrate host cells. Apicomplexa includes Plasmodium, the parasite that causes malaria, and Toxoplasma, one of the most widespread parasites of warm-blooded animals.

Facts

Disputed

Member Species/Taxa Count

6000 1

Approximate described-species (or, for a genus, described-taxon) count; continually revised as species are newly described, reclassified or synonymized.

Taxonomic Rank

Phylum / Division 1

Scientific Name

Apicomplexa 1

Cross-Tradition Connections

Child Taxon Of

Protista

Source Catalogue of Life

Sources

1. Catalogue of Life

Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of LifeView the Source

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