Ref ID : 3778
Robert W. Angell; Structure of Trichosphaerium micrum sp. n. J.Protozool. 22(1):18-22, 1975
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Trichosphaerium micrum sp. n., a marine testate rhizopod, is described. It is ~36 µm in diameter, covered with acicular, hollow, blunt-ended calcite spicules, 1-3 µm in length, that lie flat in a fibrous sheath. The test is penetrated by circular semipermanent apertures through which extend short dactylopodia. Locomotion is by lobopodia which the organism uses to adhere to the substrate. It is multinucleate with an average of 9 nuclei/individual. The type locality is the shallow littoral of Big Pine Key, Florida. Spicules of other species are described and it is suggested that until more is known about the biology of the group, species classification in the order Trichosida be based on spicule structure and orientation, as well as the size of the organism.