Variant: Unidentifiable coccolithophore is regarded here as a variant of Crystals and crud. I.e. It is a subjective junior synonym, but some workers many find it useful for some studies (e.g. experienced biostratigraphers working with abundant, well preserved material), but for most purposes differentiating it is not reccomended. Please do use the comments section at the bottom of this page if you wish to discuss this interpretation
Calyptrosphaera circumspicta Schiller (1925) - schematic line drawing only
Coccochrysis subsalsa Conrad 1926 - possible based on Syracosphaera but coccosphere is not close to any known species so probably schematic
Coccochrysis Conrad 1926
Coccolithus atlanticus Cohen (1965) - holotypes are lm images with no useful detail (possibly S. pulchra)
Coccolithus brambatii Cohen (1965) - holotype is TEM of poorly preserved isolated shield, probably reworked
Coccolithus erythreus Bernard & Lecal (1960)
Coccolithus multiporus Lecal-Schlauder (1951) - schematic drawing only which does not closely resemble any known taxon, possibly Helicosphaera
Coccolithus tessellatus Lecal-Schlauder (1951) - schematic drawing only which does not closely resemble any known taxon
Corisphaera amplior Lecal-Schlauder (1951) - schematic drawing only which does not closely resemble any known taxon
Corisphaera fagei Bernard (1939) - schematic drawing only which does not closely resemble any known taxon
Corisphaera fibula Lecal-Schlauder (1951) - drawing only, possibly a junior synonym of Corisphaera gracilis
Corisphaera margaritacea Lecal-Schlauder (1951) - schematic drawing only, possibly an Anthosphaera species but too little detail to allow a clear identification.
Cricolithus scabrosus Cohen (1965) - overgrown relic of reworked nannofossil
Helladosphaera richardi Bernard (1939) - drawing only which does not closely resemble any known taxon
Lecalia Loeblich & Tappan (1963) - type species unidentifiable
Lithotaenia vulgaris Bernard (1965) - probably a fecel pellet
Lithotaenia Bernard (1965)
Melobesia discus Carter (1871) - no illustration
Melobesia unicellularis Carter (1871) - no illustration
Najadea gloriosa Schiller (1913) - holotype drawing does not correspond well to any known species
Petalosphaera grani Lohmann (1903) - holotype drawing does not contain enough detail to determine what was observed, and does not resemble a coccolithophore
Petalosphaera Lohmann (1903)
Pontosphaera achillea Kamptner (1937) - holotype is drawing with too little detail to allow identification, maybe a Helicosphaera holococcolith.
Pontosphaera borealis Ostenfeld (1911) - holotype is drawing with far too little detail to allow identification
Pontosphaera bruckneri Schiller (1913) - holotype is drawing with too little detail to allow identification
Pontosphaera caelamenisa Lecal-Schlauder (1951) - holotype is detailed drawing but does not resemble any actual coccolithophore
Pontosphaera ditrematolitha Bursa (1961) - holotype drawings do not resemble a coccosphere, possible a fecal pellet
Pontosphaera echinofera Schiller (1913) - holotype is drawing with too little detail to allow identification
Pontosphaera elleipsis Lecal & Bernheim (1960) - holotype is TEM shadow with no useful detail
Pontosphaera haeckeli Lohmann (1902) - holotype is drawing with too little detail to allow identification
Pontosphaera hartmanni Schiller (1925) - holotype is drawing with too little detail to allow identification
Pontosphaera impliera Lecal & Bernheim (1960) - holotype is TEM shadow with no useful detail
Pontosphaera inermis Lohmann (1902) - holotype is drawing with too little detail to allow identification
Pontosphaera margarita Lecal & Bernheim (1960) - holotype is TEM shadow with too little detail to allow identificationl
Pontosphaera ovalis Schiller (1913) - holotype is drawing with too little detail to allow identification
Pontosphaera pietschmanni Kamptner (1937) - clearly a holococcolith but holotype is drawing with too little detail to allow identification
Pontosphaera primitiva Lecal & Bernheim (1964) - holotype is TEM shadow with no useful detail
Pontosphaera triangularis Schiller (1913) - holotype is drawing with too little detail to allow identification
Pontosphaera verruca Lecal-Schlauder (1951) - holotype is detailed drawing but does not resemble any actual coccolithophore
Rhabdocyclus simplex Bernard & Lecal (1960) - unidentifiable, schematic drawing with no detailed semblance to any extant coccolith
Rhabdocyclus Bernard & Lecal (1960) - type species unidentifiable
Rhabdosphaera longistylis Schiller (1925) - this could have been based on R. xiphos, P. vandelli or Meringosphaera mediterranea but there is too little detail in the drawing to determine which.
Rhabdosphaera ruginiensis Kamptner (1936) - no illustration and considered by author to be synonym of R. longistylis.
Rhabdosphaera siliqua Lecal-Schlauder (1951) - drawing could be one of many small holococcoliths
Rhabdosphaera tenuistylis Gaarder (1954) - too little detail in drawing to determine what it was baed on
Syracolithus antarcticus Lecal & Bernheim (1960) - probably a small Syracosphaera, but might be Calciopappus, Ophiaster or even Emiliania, too little detail to determine identification
Syracolithus globula Lecal (1967) - S. molischii group secies but not identifiable to species level from the single poor quality TEM provided.
Syracolithus orientalis Bernard & Lecal (1960) - probably a small calcisphere, but might be something else, too little detail to determine identification
Syracosphaera adriatica Schiller (1913)- line drawing of coccosphere inadequate to determine species
Syracosphaera atlantica Busch (1919)- line drawing of coccosphere inadequate to determine species
Syracosphaera bifenestrata Schiller (1913)- line drawing of coccosphere inadequate to determine species
Syracosphaera brandti Schiller (1925)- line drawing of coccosphere inadequate to determine species
Syracosphaera clypeata Lecal-Schlauder (1951)- line drawing of coccosphere inadequate to determine species
Syracosphaera cordiformis Schiller (1913)- line drawing of coccosphere inadequate to determine species
Syracosphaera coronata Schiller (1913)- line drawing of coccosphere inadequate to determine species
Syracosphaera coronifera Lecal-Schlauder (1951)- line drawing of coccosphere inadequate to determine species
Syracosphaera crustula Schlauder (1945)- line drawing of coccosphere inadequate to determine species
Syracosphaera cupulifera Schiller (1913)- line drawing of coccosphere inadequate to determine species
Syracosphaera dentata Lohmann (1902)- line drawing of coccosphere inadequate to determine species
Syracosphaera grundi Schiller (1913)- line drawing of coccosphere inadequate to determine species
Syracosphaera lohmanni Brunnthaler (1911)- line drawing of coccosphere inadequate to determine species
Syracosphaera oculata Lecal-Schlauder (1951)- line drawing of coccosphere inadequate to determine species
Syracosphaera ovata Schiller (1925)- line drawing of coccosphere inadequate to determine species
Syracosphaera pastillusa Lecal-Schlauder (1951)- line drawing of coccosphere inadequate to determine species
Syracosphaera pila Lecal-Schlauder (1951)- line drawing of coccosphere inadequate to determine species
Syracosphaera profunda Bernard (1939)- line drawing of coccosphere inadequte to determine species
Syracosphaera pseudoexangularis Schiller (1913)- line drawing of coccosphere inadequate to determine species
Syracosphaera radiata Schiller (1925)- line drawing of coccosphere inadequate to determine species
Syracosphaera scutata Lecal-Schlauder (1951)- line drawing of coccosphere inadequate to determine species
Syracosphaera spinosa Lohmann (1902)- line drawing of coccosphere inadequate to determine species
Syracosphaera tenuis Lohmann (1902)- line drawing of coccosphere inadequate to determine species
Syracosphaera uninodata Schlauder (1945)- line drawing of coccosphere inadequate to determine species
Tergestiella gemma Lecal-Schlauder (1951) - maybe a Sphaerocalyptra but line drawing of coccosphere inadequate to determine species
Thalassopappus pellucidus Kamptner (1941) - possibly a Calciopappus but too little detail even to be sure of generic identification
Thalassopappus Kamptner (1941)
Taxonomic discussion: This category is given here to allow comprehensive databasing of described coccolithophores. It is needed because in the older literature some coccolithophores were validly described and are included in e.g. the Farinacci catalog but it is not possible to tell what was described since the illustrations and diagnosis were inadequate.
Distinguishing features: Parent taxon (Crystals and crud): This taxon: Validly described species of coccolithophore which cannot be assigned to a modern species
The morphological data given here can be used on the advanced search page. See also these notes
Geological Range: Last occurrence (top): at top of (100% up, 0Ma, in "Holocene" stage). Data source: Total of ranges of the species in this database First occurrence (base): within (-Ma, base in "Holocene" stage). Data source: Total of ranges of species in this database
Plot of occurrence data:
Range-bar - range as quoted above, pink interval top occurs in, green interval base occurs in.
Triangles indicate an event for which a precise placement has been suggested
(NB There is no histogram as there are no occurrence records for the taxon in the Neptune database) Parent: Crystals and crud
References:
Unidentifiable coccolithophore compiled by Jeremy R. Young, Paul R. Bown, Jacqueline A. Lees viewed: 11-2-2026
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