Studies on marine flagellates: III. Three further species of Chrysochromulina

Abstract

Two of the new species of Chrysochromulina to be described here are somewhat more like the type species (C. parva Lackey) than were any of those included in our last communication (Part II of this series—Parke, Manton & Clarke, 1955). The diagnostic generic character of the presence of three filiform appendages arising close together is shared by all, and as before two of the appendages are flagella of equal or almost equal length and the third is a special organ to which the name haptonema has been given (Gr. åπτω to attach, υ⋯ματα pl. υ⋯ματα, a thread) (1955, p. 581). In our previous species the haptonemata when fully extended were relatively short, being not very different in length from the flagella. When not extended it was coiled in a flat spiral. Our three new species all have much longer haptonemata, of the order of twice the length of the flagella in C. ericina and three to five times the length of the flagella in C. ephippium and C. alifera.