Original descriptions of taxa. For coccolithophores, and many calcispheres, these are pages from the Farinacci & Howe Catalog of Calcareous Nannofossils. In other cases (e.g. non-calcifying haptophytes) the data is directly compiled on this site. The "Catalogue of Calcareous Nannofossils" was originally compiled by Prof A. Farinacci 1969-1989, since 2000 it has been updated and extended by Richard Howe - see The Farinacci and Howe Catalog - an Introduction.
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Citation: Chrysochromulina chiton Parke & Manton in Parke et al., 1958Taxonomic rank: speciesType sample (& lithostrat): Isolated by Miss Dorothy Ballantine from sea-water samples collected by her during cruise, May 1955.Type locality: The sea at position lat. N. 47 36', long. W. 04 18' (23 May 1955, Plymouth no. 146, type culture) at 50 mFarinacci catalog page (& compiler): n/a Current citation: Prymnesium chiton (Parke and Manton in Parke et al. 1958) Edvardsen, Eikrem & Probert, in Edvardsen et al., 2011
Original Description Motile cells showing some metaboly, sphaeroidal to ovoid with a flattened flagellar pole depressed centrally across one axis, 5-8 (exceptionally 4-10) µm in diameter. Two flagella and one haptonema arising close together slightly off-centre from the depression; the flagella subequal, or of equal length, homodynamic, 2½-3½ times body length, smooth, apex gradually attenuated to a small knob (E. M. observation); the haptonema, thinner than the flagella, 4-5 times body length when fully extended, with a club-shaped tip and an internal structure of three concentric membranes surrounding a ring of seven ' fibres'. The very thin periplast of a pectic nature covered by very thin, transparent, oval, two-layered, sculptured, exceptionally large, dimorphic scales, visible when dry under the light microscope, details visible only under the electron microscope. Large scales oval, bipartite, saucer-shaped, with a wide rim delimited from an oval centre by a ridge, 1.9 x 2.4 to 2.2 x 2.9 µm, with the base showing a radiating pattern of ridges on the surface towards the body, the outer surface patternless. The small scales, round to oval, 0.7 x 0.9 to 1.1 x 1.4 µm, with the relatively patternless rimmed face away from the body and the face with the pattern of radiating ridges towards the body. Scale distribution a single layer over the body with small scales filling interstices between large. Cells uninucleate, no stigma. Chromatophores appearing striated, usually two or four, occasionally one or six, golden brown; in motile phase usually ellipsoid or oblong, parietal, with a single globular body (pyrenoid) attached by a constricted neck to inner face near one margin slightly nearer to the non-flagellar pole than the flagellar pole; in non-motile phase deeply lobed or stellate. Lipoids and leucosin produced. Ejectile muciferous bodies generally distributed in peripheral cytoplasm but usually more numerous at flagellar pole. Nutrition phototrophic and/or phagotrophic. Non-toxic to fish. In motile phase asexual reproduction by fission into two, three or occasionally four daughter-cells of equal or unequal size; in non-motile phase reproduction (asexual?) by successive fission of amoeboid cells to produce four daughter-cells with thin smooth walls; motile phase probably liberated from walled daughter-cells through a pore. Extra details from original publication THE SCALE CHARACTERS The large size and spectacular appearance of the scales can be seen in Fig. 11, Pl. I, and in Pls. II and III. They are manifestly of two kinds, each with characteristic differences in the appearance of the two faces. There are smaller, roundish or oval scales, each with a rim and a radiating pattern of ridges on one face which is absent from the other (see specially Figs. 16 and 17). These represent a general type of scale which we have encountered not uncommonly (1955, 1956), often in association with others of markedly different appearance. The second type of scale and the one characteristic of our new species has not previously been encountered. These scales are much larger and manifestly bipartite, having a wide rim delimited from an oval centre by a ridge which suggests that these two parts cannot have been in the same plane in life, although in the flattened condition produced by drying it is not possible to deduce what their mutual relations may have been. Unconsciously one is influenced by their astonishing resemblance to straw hats. The pattern of sculpturing which is partly responsible for this illusion is present on one face only, the other face being smooth (compare S1 with S2 in Fig. 15, PI. II).
The true shape of both types of scale is at once made clear from a section, e.g. Fig. 30, PI. IX. The large scales are not hat-shaped but saucer-shaped, and the small scales are plate-like with a rim sharply flexed towards the upper surface. Both kinds of scale become detached from the cells so easily that these are commonly naked when sectioned though scales may litter the field cut at all angles and without orientation to a surface (PI. IV, etc.). The two characteristic types of profile are easily picked out. Occasionally, however, a favourable cell may retain its scales in position and two are illustrated here (PI. VIII and Fig. 29, PI. IX) from each of which the arrangement of the scales on the cell surface is obvious. They form a single layer with the two scale types so arranged that the small scales alternate with the large ones, occupying the interstices between them. In surface view this must mean that each large scale is surrounded by a ring of 5-6 small scales in a manner which is partly retained in the detached mat illustrated in PI. III.
Apart from the evidence on scale arrangement, the cells of Figs. 28 and 29, Pis. VIII and IX, are important for providing information regarding the relative positions of the patterned versus patternless scale faces with respect to the cell surface. In both cases the scale shape in section combined with the information from shadowcast material makes it clear that the patterned surface lies against the cell body and the relatively patternless surface outwards. This is in exact agreement with the position deduced from the evidence of the spined scales in C. ephippium (1956, p. 402).
A fuller interpretation of the nature of the patterning on the scale faces cannot be arrived at without knowledge of their mode of growth. There is, however, no doubt that, at least for the larger scales, there are two quite distinct layers of material present which in section can be seen separately in the angle where the rim joins the central plate (PI. VIII). Though the sculpturing is confined to the lower layer, it is probable that this layer is actually compound since our best resolved pictures of the patterned surface, Fig. 16, PI. II, give a strong suggestion of interwoven fibres rather than sculpturing in the strict sense.
References:
Parke, M., Manton, I. & Clarke, B. (1958). Studies on marine flagellates. IV. Morphology and microanatomy of a new species of Chrysochromulina. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. 37: 209-228. gs
Chrysochromulina chiton: Catalog entry compiled by Jeremy Young. Viewed: 17-2-2025