Atlanticellodinium tregouboffi

Super Group: 
Alveolata
Phylum: 
Dinophyta
Class: 
Syndinea
Order: 
Syndiniales
Family: 
Sphaeriparidae
Genus: 
Atlanticellodinium
Species: 
tregouboffi
Authority: 
Cachon & Cachon-Enjumet 1965

Diagnosis

Diagnosis_Genus: Atlanticellodinium Cachon & Cachon-Enjumet 1965. Enplasmic parasite that feed by phagotrophy. Successive sporogeneses are observed.
Diagnosis_Species: A. tregouboffi Cachon & Cachon-Enjumet 1965. Active penetration of the parasite in the host ectoplasm, first infesting stage observed had 5-6 µm in diameter. The parasite penetrate the endoplasm throughout pores located in the phaeodium, where the parasite starts to growth (10 µm) but remained uninucleated. Feeding of the trophont by phagotrophy, through a cytopharynx, located at the hyposome devoid of nucleus and surrounded by a fibrous membrane. Orifice (the cytostomal perforation) has 3 µm of diameter is located in the midle of the hyposome. This structure is intimely fixed to the host cytoplasm. Nuclei (4) are located in the episome, which is surrounded by a thin cytoplasmic membrane. Nuclei divided, whilst the episome produces constrictions where sporonts individualised. Constrictions reproduced several times as 3 articles (maximum) have been observed per episome, without knowning if this phenomenon is continuous or not. Uninucleated and aflagellated sporonts of 12-15 µm of diameter are then released from these articles. Spore unknown. 4, may be 5 chromosomes.

Type species

This is the type species of the genus.

Type illustration / Type locality / Type specimen

Type host: Planktonetta atlantica.

Ecology

Substrate: endozoic
Salinity: marine

Life cycle

Phases_alternance: haplontic
Reproduction_mode: asexual
Symbiont: horizontal_active-penetration

Feeding behaviour

Parasitism
Phagotrophy

Observation site(s)