Cachonella paradoxa

Super Group: 
Alveolata
Phylum: 
Dinophyta
Class: 
Dinophyceae
Family: 
Diplomorphidae
Genus: 
Cachonella
Species: 
paradoxa
Authority: 
Rose & Cachon 1951
Synonym(s): 
Diplomorpha paradoxa

Diagnosis

Diagnosis_Genus: Parasites of siphonophores and copepods, with very plastic morphologies (pedonculated or not, with or without digitations).
Diagnosis_Species: Parasite of siphonophores. The parasite is attached on its host by ramified rhizoids supported by a large pad. This structure can elongate, forming a peduncle, and retract again. This sessile form has three main fibrillar regions (two in the upper side, one inferior), contain a large and central nucleus, containing one to several nucleoli. Division of this sessile form has never been observed. The parasite can additionally form digitations, by the devagination of pre-existing tubules. Inside the digestive cavity of its host, the parasite become turgescent by absorbing material, with cytoplasmic extension occupying all digitations. When release into water, the parasite retracts from digitations, forms a new external membrane and becomes ovoid. The parasite is then released out from the old cuticle. Palintomic sporogenesis produced hundred of spores. Daughter sporozoite produces a peduncle than can remain attach to the mother cuticle, forming a tree planting scheme. Spores are spherical (20 µm in diameter), with a dinospore shape and two unequal flagella. Typical dinocaryon observed.

Body_length: 25-130 µm
Body_spore: 20 µm

Etymology

Cachonella: in honor of Pr Cachon.

Type species

This is the type species of the genus.

Type illustration / Type locality / Type specimen

Type host: siphonophores Calycophorides.
Type locality: Villefranche-sur-mer and Alger Bay.

Ecology

Substrate: epizoic (endocommensal epibiont)
Salinity: marine

 

Life cycle

Generation: <1 month
Reproduction_mode: asexual
Symbiont: horizontal

Feeding behaviour

Osmotrophy

Mode of locomotion

Flagellum_spore:2

Observation site(s)