Discorbidae spp.

Discorbidae spp.

Discorbidae spp. (Please look at and comment)

Discorbidae spp. 1

  • Umbilical view.
  • Collected: S Barents Sea, from intertidal filamentous algae.
  • Bengal Rose stained.

Discorbidae spp. 2

  • Dorsal view.
  • Collected: S Barents Sea, from intertidal filamentous algae.
  • Bengal Rose stained.

Discorbidae spp. 3

  • Umbilical view.
  • Collected: S Barents Sea, intertidal.

Discorbidae spp. 4

Dorsal view.Collected: S Barents Sea, intertidal.

Discorbidae spp. 5

  • Umbilical view.
  • Collected: Aug. 2000, White Sea, intertidal

Discorbidae spp. 6

  • Dorsal view.Collected: Aug. 2000, White Sea, intertidal

Discorbidae spp. 7

Umbilical view.Collected: Aug. 2000, White Sea, intertidal

Discorbidae spp. 8

  • Dorsall view. Collected: Aug. 2000, White Sea, intertidal

 

Remarks:

These forms are littoral in the Barents and White seas. We have never seen them in samples from the open sea (still it is possible that in routine counts such specimens have been mistaken for Buccella). They may be boreal taxa penetrating the European Arctic within the intertidal zone where, due to summer sun warming, the temperature can be high enough to allow their reproduction. An example of such a boreal species is Elphidium williamsoni, which inhabits the intertidal muds the White and southern Barents seas not occurring below the low tide line. Could these be something Ammonia-like? Note, that Ammonia has never been recorded that far north. Suggestions are welcome.

These SEM images were taken by M.Holzmann, Universite de Geneve, Switzerland.