Members of the genus Nycteria lack erythrocytic schizogony, which is a specific replication phase inside red blood cells responsible for causing malaria.

[8] Filaments expressed on the surface of infected erythrocytes were also found, as originally described,[3] and became fewer and shorter as the gametocytes matured and sometimes disappeared at later stages.

[7] Fine pigment grains were found scattered irregularly throughout the cytoplasm and highly chromophilic macrogametocytes had a dark blue-purple color containing a small, condensed nuclei.

[7] Microgametocytes had a pale, pink color containing a small, central condensation of chromatin possibly reminiscent of a rosette – groupings of cells usually found in tumors.

[7] Another species of the genus, N. grandis, also showed similar morphological structure of the Nycteria gametocyte to N. medusiformis, but lack highly characteristic filaments as seen in N.

[2] Further research on the genus might offer previous unrecognized insights into the evolution of human pathogens, as well into diverse parasite strategies to achieve stable transmission to host populations.