The heterotrophic naked foraminiferan can feed on microbes as well has larger organisms and is able to be sustained in culture by supplemented nutrients such as wheat germ and oats.

[2][3][4] The large, multinucleate foraminferan is characteristic for its lack of test and named for the network of connecting pseudopodia surrounding its central body mass.

[2] The organism has unique bidirectional cytoplasmic streaming throughout the anastomosing pseudopodia that is some of the fastest reported organelle transport observed.

This organism was initially cultured in semi aquatic conditions on damp blotting paper and in dishes of freshwater.

[2] From this original isolation, samples were cultivated and observed before R. filosa was first described by Ruth Nauss in 1949 and named for its network of filose pseudopodia.

The existence of Reticulomyxa is important because it suggests that there are potentially unstudied naked foraminiferans in marine ecosystems that have not been identified due to their lack of fossils.

[1] The organism has been used as a model system in studies of cytoskeletal transport due to the unique fast bidirectional cytoplasmic streaming in network of pseudopodia and on the cell body surface.

[2] Reticulomyxa has a plasmodial morphology, including a central body surrounded by filose pseudopodia, which have a diameter of approximately 50 μm.

[8] When in the vegetative stage, the central body of Reticulomyxa is round and has many pseudopodia extending outwards forming an array or network-like plasmodia which facilitate locomotion and feeding.

[2] In Reticulomyxa, mitosis is closed, the nuclear membrane remains intact during spindle formation and chromosome separation.

The presence of flagella and meiosis related genes suggests that there is a possibility of sexual reproduction and gamete production in this genus.