Tursiocola olympica (Hustedt) Holmes, Nagasawa & Takano, 1993

Frankovich, Thomas A., Sullivan, Michael J. & Stacy, Nicole I., 2015, Tursiocola denysii sp. nov. (Bacillariophyta) from the neck skin of Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), Phytotaxa 234 (3), pp. 227-236 : 232

Tursiocola olympica (Hustedt) Holmes, Nagasawa & Takano ( Figs 31–33 )

LM morphology: valves are isopolar to slightly heteropolar and linear to narrowly lanceolate, tapering gradually from the middle of the valves towards sub-acute apices ( Figs 31–33 ). Valve morphometrics are as follows: length 19–20 μm, width 2.1–2.2 μm, length to width ratio 8.7–9.3, n = 5. Heteropolarity of the valve, when present, is evidenced by differences in the shape of the apices ( i. e., one valve apex may be more bluntly rounded than the opposing end). The raphe is straight and the central area is formed by a stauros that extends to the valve margins ( Figs 31–33 ). The transapical striae are parallel to slightly radiate, 29–30 in 10 μm, n = 5 ( Figs 31–33 ). By focusing through the valve, each pseudoseptum can be seen to extend over ca. 1/5 of the valve length from the apices ( Figs 31–33 ).

Type:— ANTARCTICA. Ross Sea, specimens from the skin of a humpback whale, 75º S 160º W, February 1951 ( holotype BRM! NA1/77).

Figures

FIGURES 31–36. Tursiocola olympica and T. staurolineata type populations, LM, specimens in valve view showing valve shape and size range. 31–33. Tursiocola olympica (holotype slide BRM! NA1/77). 34–36. Tursiocola staurolineata (isotype slide BRM! ZU4/76), Scale bar = 10 μm.