Jette Buch Østergaard

HETEROMORPHIC LIFE HISTORIES IN ARCTIC COCCOLITHOPHORIDS (PRYMNESIOPHYCEAE)1

During three visits to Disko Bay, West Greenland, we found four different types of prymnesiophyte flagellates with heterococcoliths from species of the genera Papposphaera Tangen and Pappomonas Manton and Oates in characteristic and consistent combinations with holococcoliths from species of the genera Turrisphaera Manton, Sutherland, and Oates and Trigonaspis Thomsen. We conclude that several taxa previously considered to be autonomous species are, in fact, part of life histories combining hetero‐ and holococcolithophorid forms in a manner somewhat similar to that known from studies of cultured strains of Coccolithus pelagicus (Wallich) Schiller and Crystallolithus hyalinus (Gaarder) Markali. Similarly, Calciarcus Manton, Sutherland and Oates and Wigwamma Manton, Sutherland and Oates also may be alternate phases of a coccolithophorid life history.

Loricate choanoflagellates from West Greenland (August 1988) including the description of Spinoeca buckii gen. et sp. nov.

Summary A new loricate choanoflagellate genus, Spinoeca buckii gen. et sp. nov., is described from West Greenland. The lorica has four conspicuous spines at each end. The transverse costal component includes a single anterior transverse costa, and pairs of crossing (X-shaped) costal strips at the posterior lorica end. The lorica appears to be open also at the posterior end. In addition to West Greenland, the new taxon is reported from several places in the North Atlantic (including the high Arctic), Arctic Canada, and South America. The West Greenland loricate choanoflagellate community (August 1988) comprised more than 32 species. Ten of these accounted for more than 90% of the total population.

Coccolithophorids in polar waters: Trigonaspis spp. revisited

A group of weakly calcified coccolithophorid genera and species were described from polar regions several decades ago. In the interim period a few additional findings have been reported adding to the morphological and biogeographical databases of some of the species. The holococcolithophorid genus Trigonaspis is revisited here with the purpose of providing, based on additional sampling from both polar regions, an update on species morphology, life history aspects and biogeography. The genus Trigonaspis as currently circumscribed comprises four taxa – two from each polar region. The triangular plates of crystallites that cover the surfaces of both the tower-shaped flagellar pole coccoliths and the disc-shaped body coccoliths are the keystone features of the genus. Circumstantial evidence exists linking species of Trigonaspis with species of Pappomonas in haploid-diploid life cycles.

Coccolithophorids in Polar Waters: Calciarcus spp. Revisited

The genus Calciarcus is revisited here with the purpose of providing, based on additional sampling from both polar regions, an update on species diversity and morphology that can serve as a reference for future work. The geographic realm of the genus is significantly widened and a case is built based on consistency in appearance in favour of adding Calciarcus spp. to the well-defined community of bipolar weakly calcified coccolithophorid genera. Despite the multitude of specimens available for analysis and the fact that the specimens examined distribute themselves within three clusters based on morphological features of coccolith superstructures, it has not been possible at this stage to define a robust framework for differentiation among species of Calciarcus. Circumstantial evidence exist linking species of Wigwamma with species of Calciarcus in haploid-diploid life cycles.

Coccolithophores in Polar Waters: Papposphaera sagittifera HET and HOL Revisited

The re-examination of the lightly calcified Arctic coccolithophore species, Papposphaera sagittifera, has some inherent challenges due to the research history on this taxon. It is thus obvious in retrospect that the species description based on just a single specimen does not adequately account for the true identity of this taxon. Today we are aware of the existence of at least three species of Papposphaera that have basically the same calyx design while being differentiated based on patterns of central area calcification. In order to remedy this we emend here the description of P. sagittifera and provide an epitype for the species. When realizing that species pairs of Papposphaera and Turrisphaera share a life history, the new combination, P. borealis, was established to accommodate P. sagittifera and T. borealis. However, it turns out that ‘sagittifera’ is in fact the senior epithet by a few months, which means that the correct name for the species is P. sagittifera with T. borealis added as a synonym. While the P. sagittifera HET and HOL morphological variability across Arctic sites clearly leaves the impression of a single, fairly well defined species, the situation is different with respect to the occurrence of P. sagittifera in Antarctic waters. While there are obvious similarities between P. sagittifera HET across the Polar Regions there are also subtle differences, and most importantly it has been found that the Antarctic P. sagittifera shares a life history with a species of Turrisphaera that is markedly different from T. borealis. While awaiting molecular evidence the Antarctic material is tentatively referred to as P. sagittifera cfr.

Ventimolina stellata gen. et sp. nov. (Haptophyta, Papposphaeraceae) from warm water regions

It has been known for some time that the distinctive polar weakly calcified coccolithophores are also present in samples from lower latitudes. While polar species may actually have a geographic range that vastly extends beyond the polar realms, it is often the case that the warm water regions contribute species that can be allocated to genera previously described based on polar material. We are currently in the process of formally dealing with the warm water species diversity affiliated with the family Papposphaeraceae. In this paper we describe a new genus and species Ventimolina stellata based on material from the Andaman Sea (type locality) and the NW Mediterranean.

Acanthoecid choanoflagellates from the Atlantic Arctic Region − a baseline study

The examination and statistical analysis of loricate choanoflagellate material collected from Greenland waters during the period 1988–1998 represents a de facto baseline study of heterotrophic nanoflagellates from the Atlantic Arctic Region. The geographic sites sampled are Disko Bay (West Greenland) and the high-arctic North-East Water (NEW) and North Water (NOW) polynya. The analyses encompass close to 50 taxa. Some of these are described as new species, i.e. Acanthocorbis glacialis, A. reticulata and Diaphanoeca dilatanda. Two distinct clusters of species that are separated in time and space occur at all three sampling sites. A PCA analysis of NEW and NOW data points to that one community is linked to e.g. an early season high nutrient and low phytoplankton biomass scenario, whereas the other is predominant when nutrient levels are exhausted and the phytoplankton biomass high or declining. The material additionally allows for a comprehensive examination of e.g. the Cosmoeca ventricosa morphological variability encountered, as well as puts on record bimodal size variability within a number of species.

Formonsella pyramidosa (Haptophyta, Papposphaeraceae): a new weakly calcified coccolithophore genus from warm-water regions

A new species Formonsella pyramidosa gen. et sp. nov. is described to accommodate a widely distributed warm-water coccolithophore species that has previously been referred to as Pappomonas sp. 2. Formonsella differs from Pappomonas with respect to, in particular, the detailed structure of the rim on both calicate and non-calicate coccoliths. In Formonsella the rim comprises two cycles of rod-shaped elements. Although elements in the distal layer are higher at one end, giving this cycle a serrate outline, the overall appearance is very different from the Pappomonas rim which encompasses a distal cycle of pentagonal elements, giving the rim a very distinct toothed appearance. Inverted rectangular pyramidal structures terminate the calicate F. pyramidosa coccoliths. In non-calicate coccoliths the central area calcification comprises differently sized tile-shaped elements, mostly arranged along the longitudinal axis in a rather irregular way.