Galeidiniium rugatum

Phylum: 
Alveolata
Sub-Phylum: 
Dinophyta
Class: 
Dinophyceae
Order: 
Dinotrichales
Family: 
Dinotrichaceae
Genus: 
Galeidiniium
Species: 
rugatum
Authority: 
M.Tamura & T.Horiguchi in Tamura, Shimada & Horiguichi 2005

Diagnosis

Nonmotile cell unicellular and sessile, 9.5–15.0 mm (average, 11.7 mm) in length and 6.5–11.0 mm (average, 8.95 mm) in width, protoplast covered by wrinkled helmet-shaped cell wall with a transverse groove; chloroplasts yellow-brown, elliptical, and 10–20 in
number; dinokaryotic nucleus spheroidal, located in center to hyposome of cell; endosymbiotic nucleus small; eyespot elliptical. Motile cell ovoid, naked; cingulum equatorial, no displacement. Dinoflagellate marine, sand dwelling.

Etymology

rugatum indicates its wrinkled cell surface.

Type species

This is the type species (holotype) of the genus Galeidinium.

Type illustration / Type locality / Type specimen

Type locality :Mecherchar Island, The Republic of Palau.

Life cycle

The dominant life cycle stage of G. rugatum is an attached nonmotile form. Cell division takes place within the nonmotile state usually once per day, resulting in the formation of two motile cells. The two motile cells are released from the nonmotile. The motile cells  usually swim for a short period (30 min to 1 h). Before attaching, the motile cells spin around and suddenly become quiescent and eventually attach themselves to the substratum. The cytoplasm of adhered cells expands transversally after several minutes of attachment, and the cell gradually takes on the form of the typical nonmotile cell after about 30 min. Although two daughter cells are usually released from a nonmotile cell, the release of a single cell is also possible.

Attached phylogeny

Observation site(s)

SYMBIONTS

Displaying 1 - 1 of 1
Association with... Region origin Name of site In reference...
Cylindrotheca sp. Asia Mecherchar Island
Tamura M, Shimada S, Horiguchi T (2005) GALEIDINIIUM RUGATUM GEN. ET SP. NOV. (DINOPHYCEAE), A NEW COCCOID DINOFLAGELLATE WITH A DIATOM ENDOSYMBIONT1. Journal of Phycology 41:658 - 671. doi: 10.1111/(ISSN)1529-881710.1111/jpy.2005.41.issue-310.1111/j.1529-8817.2005.00085.x