Morphological Variation of Lingulodinium polyedrum (Dinophyceae) in Culture Specimens and Reinterpretation of the Thecal Formula

doi:2005.20.4.299

Algae > Volume 20(4); 2005 > Article

Algae 2005;20(4): 299-304. doi: https://doi.org/10.4490/algae.2005.20.4.299

Keun-Yong Kim^* Makoto Yoshida¹ and Chang-Hoon Kim

Department of Aquaculture, Pukyong National University, Busan 608-737, South Korea
¹Faculty of Environmental and Symbiotic Sciences, Prefectural University of Kumamoto, Kumamoto 862-8502, Japan

ABSTRACT

Morphological observation of a unialgal culture of Lingulodinium polyedrum was conducted under light- and scanning electron microscopes. Lingulodinium polyedrum was redefined as having the thecal formula of APC, Q, 5’, 6”, 6c, 6s, 5’”, 2”” using the reinterpreted tabulation system. In our tabulation system, the Q, which is equivalent to the 3’ in the strict Kofoidean system, was treated as an auxiliary platelet because of its considerable morphological variations in culture specimens. Subsequently, apical plates were redefined as plates directly connected to the APC and/or the Q. The 1”’ and the 1p in the conventional Kofoidean system were treated as a component of the sulcus (the Ssa) and as an antapical plate (the 1””), respectively. Our reinterpreted tabulation system clearly differentiated extant gonyaulacalean taxa.

Key words: Lingulodinium polyedrum, morphological variation, reinterpretation, thecal formula