Evidence for a possible life-cycle association between Syracosphaera protrudens (heterococcolithophore) and Syracosphaera pulchra HOL pirus-type (holococcolithophore)

Triantaphyllou, M. V.; Dimiza, M. D.; Malinverno, E.; Young, J. R.

doi:https://doi.org/10.1144/jm.28.1.1

Articles | Volume 28, issue 1

https://doi.org/10.1144/jm.28.1.1

© Author(s) 2009. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.1144/jm.28.1.1

© Author(s) 2009. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 28, issue 1

01 May 2009

| 01 May 2009

Evidence for a possible life-cycle association between Syracosphaera protrudens (heterococcolithophore) and Syracosphaera pulchra HOL pirus-type (holococcolithophore)

M. V. Triantaphyllou, M. D. Dimiza, E. Malinverno, and J. R. Young

Keywords: living coccolithophores, combination coccospheres, Syracosphaera, taxonomy, life cycle

Abstract. An apparently unambiguous combination coccosphere from the Eastern Mediterranean (Aegean Sea, Greece) is documented involving Syracosphaera protrudens Okada & McIntyre, 1977 and Syracosphaera pulchra Lohmann, 1902 HOL pirus-type. This finding is difficult to interpret in terms of the current understanding of Syracosphaera taxonomy and adds evidence to the hypothesis of a distinctly complex Syracosphaera pulchra life cycle.

Received: 26 Oct 2007 – Accepted: 20 Jul 2008 – Published: 01 May 2009