A giant foraminifer that converges to the feeding strategy of carnivorous sponges: Spiculosiphon oceana sp. nov. (Foraminifera, Astrorhizida)
Author
Maldonado, Manuel
Author
López-Acosta, María
Author
Sitjà, Cèlia
Author
Aguilar, Ricardo
Author
García, Silvia
Author
Vacelet, Jean
text
Zootaxa
2013
3669
4
571
584
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.3669.4.9
dccfc26f-7d4b-4401-b64e-7bddf6a46885
1175-5326
221875
437E95D5-93D8-41A8-83AE-AEB6B585E509
Family
Schizamminidae Nørvang, 1961
The current high-rank classification of Foraminifera has not yet caught up with recent molecular and morphological phylogenies and many uncertainties remain. Most molecular phylogenies depict the Foraminifera as a monophyletic subclade within the more inclusive clade Chromista (as defined by Cavalier-Smith, 2010). However, within the Foraminifera, the Astrohrizida has been shown to be a polyphyletic taxon. “Astrorhizids” are dispersed throughout a paraphyletic array of single-chambered foraminiferans that were traditionally grouped in the order Allogromiida (Habura
et al.
2008; Lecroq
et al.
2011; Loeblich & Tappan 1988; Pawlowski
et al.
2003; Sen Gupta 2002; Tsuchiya
et al.
2013). In the absence of an updated classification scheme that integrates recent molecular and morphological views, we have decided not to leave the material described in this study without a high-rank taxonomic allocation and tentatively followed the classification scheme currently provided at the World Modern Foraminifera database "http://www.marinespecies.org/ foraminifera", where the schizamminids consist of 3 valid, extant genera:
Jullienella
Schlumberger, 1890
,
Schizammina
Heron-Allen & Earland, 1929
, and
Spiculosiphon
Christiansen, 1964
. Collectively, the family is small, with only 11 known species to date, 3 of which belong to
Jullinella
, 6 to
Schizammina
, and 2 to
Spiculosiphon
(if considering the new species described herein). We are, however, aware that the current concepts of “
Astrorhizida
” and “
Schizamminidae
” can be profoundly altered in the coming years.