The SM spores of  Didymium have 'cracked open' (germinated) on water agar to give rise to  amoebae (myxamoebae).  The brown PacMan-like structures are the spores walls.  The 'fried egg' in the middle of each amoeba is the haploid nucleus.    Eventually two amoebae of compatible types, and hopefully from different genetic pools, will fuse to produce an  amoeba with a diploid nucleus.  This   diploid 'thallus' will grow to become the mutinucleate plasmodium.    Meiosis (reduction division),to get back to the haploid state with appropriate recombination of genetic material,  takes place in the developing fruitbody.

STUDENTS STUFF

amoebae of SM are animal like

slime moulds feed by phagocytosis (ingestion by engulfing) = animal-like

spores of SM are fungus-like

fruitbodies of SM are fungus-like

walls of spores in SM are cellulose (plant-like)

walls in fungi are chitin, and chitosan etc

plasmodium in slime moulds has DIPLOID nuclei (plant or animal like)

plasmodium moves and feeds like a giant amoeba

hyphae of fungi contain HAPLOID nuclei

Question:

So! Are slime moulds animals, plants, fungi,  or what?