Premium
CHRYSOCHROMULINA BREVITURRITA SP. NOV., A NEW FRESHWATER MEMBER OF THE PRYMNESIOPHYCEAE 1
Author(s) -
Nicholls Kenneth H.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
journal of phycology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.85
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1529-8817
pISSN - 0022-3646
DOI - 10.1111/j.1529-8817.1978.tb02476.x
Subject(s) - biology , contractile vacuole , flagellum , vacuole , cytoplasm , genus , thallus , anatomy , botany , paleontology , microbiology and biotechnology , bacteria
Chrysochromulina breviturrita sp. nov. is described as a new haptonema‐bearing member of the freshwater Prymnesiophyceae. It is ca. three times larger than the only other known freshwater member of the genus (C. parva Lackey) and possesses a haptonema only ca. 0.2–0.3 as long as the haptonema of C. parva. Two equal flagella (1 .5–2 as long as the haptonema), a large contractile vacuole, two parietal plasties, a single pyremid, nucleus, Chrysolaminarin‐like droplets and a food vacuole are features readily observed with the light microscope. Dried and shadoweast whole mounts examined with the electron microscope reveal the cell surface covered with two types of small, delicate scales: outer spined scales with a clubshaped terminus and with the spine anchored to a circular to oval base‐plate by 2–6 (7) branching arms; and, spineles oval plate scales with concentric lines and radiating ridges on one face and parallel ridges on the other . C. breviturrita has been found in nine lakes in Ontario (Canada). Pereliminary observations suggest that it is an important component of lake plankton and has probably not been delected in previous work, more because of its fragility than because of its scarcity. Living specimens are a prerequisite for initial identification, since cells frequently rupture and haptonemata are often lost when the organisms are killed with the commonly used fixatives .