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Pirsonia guinardiae, gen. et spec. nov.: A parasitic flagellate on the marine diatomGuinardia flaccida with an unusual mode of food uptake
Helgoländer Meeresuntersuchungen volume 44, pages 275–293 (1990)
Abstract
Pirsonia guinardiae gen. et spec. nov. was discovered as a parasite onGuinardia flaccida in the North Sea near List/Sylt during a bloom of this centric planktonic diatom. It is a colourless, small flagellate with an oblique cell apex and two subapically inserting flagella of different length and different orientation. The flagellates attach to a host cell and form an antapical process which pierces the diatom frustule and develops inside into a “trophosome”, consisting of a proximal digestion vacuole and distal pseudopodia which phagocytise host cytoplasm. The main body, the “auxosome”, remains outside the host cell. The trophosome persists for some time after the detachment of the auxosome or its derivatives. There are two types ofPirsonia guinardiae. Type A attaches to the valvae as well as to the girdle region, the auxosome remains flagellated and generally detaches after the feeding process to divide twice (seldom 3 times). Thick-walled (resting?) cysts are formed. Occasionally, a fusion of two sister cells has been observed. Type B attaches only to the valvae; the auxosome lacks flagella; it divides during the feeding process to give rise to a bouquet of 8 to more than 50 daughter cells which become flagellated when they detach. The taxonomical position of the flagellate is discussed. Diagnoses of genus and species are given.
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Dedicated to Prof. Dr. A. Pirson on the occasion of his eightieth birthday.
Mitglied der Taxonomischen Arbeitsgruppe an der Biologischen Anstalt Helgoland.
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Schnepf, E., Drebes, G. & Elbrächter, M. Pirsonia guinardiae, gen. et spec. nov.: A parasitic flagellate on the marine diatomGuinardia flaccida with an unusual mode of food uptake. Helgolander Meeresunters 44, 275–293 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02365468
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02365468