# Broad‐range necrophytophagy in the flagellate Orciraptor agilis (Viridiraptoridae, Cercozoa) and the underappreciated role of scavenging among protists

## TL;DR

The flagellate Orciraptor agilis can eat a wide range of dead microbes, showing that protists may play a bigger role in scavenging than previously thought.

## Contribution

This study reveals the broad necrophytic capabilities of Orciraptor agilis and challenges assumptions about protist feeding behaviors.

## Key findings

- Orciraptor agilis feeds on various eukaryotic and prokaryotic algae but not fungi.
- The flagellate shows flexible feeding strategies despite its broad diet.
- Protists can have sophisticated feeding behaviors without being limited to narrow food ranges.

## Abstract

Protists show diverse lifestyles and fulfill important ecological roles as primary producers, predators, symbionts, and parasites. The degradation of dead microbial biomass, instead, is mainly attributed to bacteria and fungi, while necrophagy by protists remains poorly recognized. Here, we assessed the food range specificity and feeding behavior of the algivorous flagellate Orciraptor agilis (Viridiraptoridae, Cercozoa) with a large‐scale feeding experiment. We demonstrate that this species is a broad‐range necrophage, which feeds on a variety of eukaryotic and prokaryotic algae, but fails to grow on the tested fungi. Furthermore, our microscopic observations reveal an unexpected flexibility of O. agilis in handling food items of different structures and biochemistry, demonstrating that sophisticated feeding strategies in protists do not necessarily indicate narrow food ranges.