Mesomycetozoa Mendoza et al., 2002 The Ichthyosporea (or DRIP clade, or Mesomycetozoea) are a small group of Opisthokonta in Eukaryota (formerly protists), mostly parasites of fish and other animals.

They are not particularly distinctive morphologically, appearing in host tissues as enlarged spheres or ovals containing spores, and most were originally classified in various groups as fungi, protozoa, or colorless algae.

However, they form a coherent group on molecular trees, closely related to both animals and fungi and so of interest to biologists studying their origins.

[4] The name DRIP is an acronym for the first protozoa identified as members of the group,[5] Cavalier-Smith later treated them as the class Ichthyosporea, since they were all parasites of fish.

Since other new members have been added (e.g. the former fungal orders Eccrinales and Amoebidiales), Mendoza et al. suggested changing the name to Mesomycetozoea, which refers to their evolutionary position.