Defretinella
# Defretinella

Defretinella is a genus of parasitic alveolates of the phylum Apicomplexa.

## Taxonomy

This genus had been placed in the family Barrouxiidae by Levine but has since been moved to the family Eleutheroschizonidae.

There is one species recognised in this genus — Defretinella eulaliae.

## Description

This species infects a polychete species — the green leaf worm (Eulalia viridis).

The oocysts contain >50 bivalved sporocysts: each sporocyst in its turn contains numerous sporozoites. The sporocysts are bivalved.

