Open AccessTaxonomic Revision and Classification of Extant Holococcolithophores Previously Placed in the Genus Anthosphaera Kamptner emend. Kleijne 1991
Author(s) -
Odysseas A. Archontikis,
Jeremy R. Young,
Lluïsa Cros
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
acta protozoologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.528
H-Index - 37
eISSN - 1689-0027
pISSN - 0065-1583
DOI - 10.4467/16890027ap.20.010.13265
Subject(s) - biology , extant taxon , taxonomy (biology) , type species , genus , type (biology) , zoology , botany , evolutionary biology , ecology
The genus Anthosphaera Kamptner emend. Kleijne is one of the most taxonomically confusing modern coccolithophores and its species level taxonomy has long been in a state of flux. Based on the review of imaged specimens from our collections, we attempt to rectify the nomenclatural problems and elucidate the obfuscated taxonomy of the genus. Review of included formally and informally described species shows that they are a distinctive group with shared characters, including ten different morphotypes of probable species level. Two of these, including the type species A. fragaria, have been shown to form life-cycle associations with heterococcoliths of the Syracosphaera molischii type. Hence, all species are transferred to Syracosphaera and the new combinations S. periperforata, S. lafourcadii, and S. origami are proposed. In addition, various informally described morphotypes are now formally described as Syracosphaera molischii var. pertusa, S. periperforata var. cylindrata, S. periperforata var. tridentata, S. rotaconica, and S. elevata.urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:0E5D4BD7-BC3B-4D30-B319-964AC887DDDE