Protistology 6 (2) 131–135 (2009)
Torodinium and Pavillardia (Gymnodiniales, Dinophyceae): two unarmoured dinoflagellates with a body extension, collected from the open Pacific Ocean Fernando Gómez Laboratoire d'Oceanographie Physique et de Biogeochimie, Centre d'Oceanologie de Marseille, Universite de la Mediterranee, Marseille, France Summary In several regions of the warm open Pacific Ocean, specimens of the unarmoured dinoflagellate genus Torodinium showed an elongated protuberance, the peduncle that protrudes from the sulcal-cingular region. In addition to the peduncle, a tentative organelle for ingestion, the occurrence of hair-like filaments (known as a “feeding veil”), and accumulation bodies (tentative food vacuoles) suggest a mixotrophic behaviour. There have been no records of the genus Pavillardia since the original description in 1921. One specimen that showed a wider cell body than the type species, P. tentaculifera, with a short antapical extension, has been assigned to this genus. The function of the antapical extension is unknown. Key words: unarmoured dinoflagellates, Torodinium, Pavillardia, body extension Address for correspondence. Fernando Gomez. Laboratoire d'Oceanographie Physique et de Biogeochimie, CNRS UMR 6535, Centre d'Oceanologie de Marseille, Universite de la Mediterranee, 163 Avenue de Luminy, Case 901, 13288 Marseille, France, e-mail: fernando.gomez@fitoplancton.com |
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