Sphaeripara Poche, 1911, nom. cons.

Lectotype species: Sphaeripara catenata (Neresheimer) Loeblich Jr. & Loeblich III

Original publication: Poche F. (1911). Die Klassen und höheren Gruppen des Thierreichs. Archiv für Naturgeschichte 77(Suppl.): 63-136.

Type designated in: Loeblich, A.R. & Loeblich, A.R. (1966). Index to the genera, subgenera, and sections of the Pyrrhophyta. Studies in Tropical Oceanography 3: [i]-x, 1-94, 1 plate.

Request PDF

Description: Intracellular parasitic dinoflagellates of Fritillaria (Appendicularia) oicoblasts. The infectious spore (ca. 10 µm) penetrates into the mucus vacuole of the oicoblast. There it differentiates by forming a circular groove into hyposome and episome. The hyposome flattens, forming a progressively widening disc and rhizoids which penetrate into the host's cytoplasm. A small axial cavity occurs, which extends to the hyposome wall by a fibrilla funnel. The hyposome contains no nucleus and is specialized for food uptake, probably by extracellular digestion and subsequent resorption, whereas phagotrophy seems to be unlikely. Simultaneously to nutrient uptake by the hyposome, the episome grows in the mucus vacuole of the host cell. The nucleus of the episome divides forming a plasmodium which later starts with palisporogenesis by strobilation, resulting in a chain of many multinucleate sporocytes which form zoospores with transverse and longitudinal flagella lying in grooves (dinospores). The fate of these dinospores is unknown, as reinfection experiments were not successful. Marine parasites of Appendicularia.

Information contributed by: M. Elbrächter. The most recent alteration to this page was made on 2015-10-19 by M.D. Guiry.

Taxonomic status: This name is of an entity that is currently accepted taxonomically.

Verification of Data
Users are responsible for verifying the accuracy of information before use, as noted on the website Content page.

Contributors
Some of the descriptions included in AlgaeBase were originally from the unpublished Encyclopedia of Algal Genera, organised in the 1990s by Dr Bruce Parker on behalf of the Phycological Society of America (PSA) and intended to be published in CD format. These AlgaeBase descriptions are now being continually updated, and each current contributor is identified above. The PSA and AlgaeBase warmly acknowledge the generosity of all past and present contributors and particularly the work of Dr Parker.

Descriptions of chrysophyte genera were subsequently published in J. Kristiansen & H.R. Preisig (eds.). 2001. Encyclopedia of Chrysophyte Genera. Bibliotheca Phycologica 110: 1-260.

Linking to this page: https://www.algaebase.org/search/genus/detail/?genus_id=47315

Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 19 October 2015. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org; searched on 20 October 2024