Phylum Acrasiomycota: Cellular Slime Molds Members of this phylum combine characteristics of fungi and the amoeba. Since the fungus-like features are readily observable they were first studied by mycologists. During good times they move gathering food like an amoeba, but when the going gets rough they settle down and take on a fungus-like existence and produce fruiting bodies. These organisms live in the soil eating as they go. When their food supply becomes restricted they send out chemical signals attracting others of their species and for a large pseudoplasmodium. This may crawl around for awhile and then develop into fruiting bodies.
Phylum Myxomycota: Plasmodial Slime Molds The feeding stage is a plasmodium which moves around in soil, wood, dung, or decayed vegetation, engulfing bacteria or particles of food. When conditions become too dry, the plasmodium forms a fruiting body with cell walls. Spores are produced by meiosis. Germinating spores release haploid amoebas, which may develop flagella. Two compatible amoeba fuse and form a plasmodium with a diploid nucleus. The diploid nucleus divides but the cytoplasm does not.