Heterotrophic ¯ agellates (Protista) from marine sediments of Botany Bay, Australia
Author
Lee, Won Je
Author
Patterson, David J.
text
Journal of Natural History
2000
34
483
562
journal article
1464-5262
Petalomonas intortus
Lee and Patterson
,
n. sp.
(®gures 14b, 15f, g.
Type
micrograph: ®gure
15g
)
Diagnosis
.
Petalomonas
, 5±11 Mm long, rounded body, ¯attened, with small particles adhering externally and with about 10 curving striations on the ventral face.
Description.
Cell outline rounded, 5±11 Mm long, very ¯attened. With tiny bodies adhering to the cell surface and with about 10 striations following a counterclockwise path on the ventral face of the cell. No structures visible on the dorsal face. One ¯agellum emerges from the ¯agellar canal, is slightly thickened and is about 1.5±1.7 times the cell length. Cells move slowly with the emergent ¯agellum directed forwards and with most movement in the distal part of the ¯agellum in contact with the substratum. The ovate reservoir is situated in the left-hand side but adjacent to the antero-posterior axis of the cell. The nucleus is in the right anterior side of the cell. Not metabolic. Rare, description based on observations of seven cells.
Remarks.
We assign this species to
Petalomonas
because it is rigid, ¯attened, and has one emergent ¯agellum and no visible mouth.
Petalomonas intortus
is characterized by its striations on the ventral face of the cell and the particles adhering to the cell surface. This species is distinguished from most other species in
Petalomonas
because of the adhering particles. Of those species with reported adhering elements,
P. intortus
is distinguished from
P. prototheca
Skuja, 1948
by its smaller size, its round shape and the lack of a short neck, from
P. punctatostriat
a
Skuja, 1939
by its ®ner spiral striations, and from
P. boadicea
which has rhomboid excrescences and a shorter ¯agellum.
Petalomonas intortus
is similar in general appearance to
Jenningsia granuliferum
(
Penard, 1890
)
Lee
et al
., 1999
(basionym,
Peranema granulifera
), but it is round whereas
J. granuliferum
is oval; and
J. granuliferum
has spiral striations.
Jenningsia granuliferum
may have to be transferred to
Petalomonas
because it lacks a mouth and no reference has been made to metaboly.
Petalomonas ornata
Skvortzov, 1957
has a reservoir and nucleus at the same position as
P. intortus
but lacks the adhering particles; it is about 11±15 Mm long and has no striations (see
Skvortzov, 1957
;
Larsen and Patterson, 1990
).