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- Modern Dinocyst Key
- brown cysts
- spherical brown randomly distributed processes
- spherical brown cysts with apiculocavate processes
- Cysts of Protoperidinium tricingulatum
Cysts of Protoperidinium tricingulatum
Zonneveld, K.A.F. and Pospelova V. (2015). A determination key for modern dinoflagellate cysts. Palynology 39 (3), 387- 409.
Field characteristics
cysts of Protoperidinium tricingulatum Kawami et al., 2009
Characteristics:
Sphaerical brown cysts with randomly distributed apiculocavate processes. Cell wall is smooth to finely granulate. Processes are solid with exception of a hollow basis that is circular in cross section. Processes are capitate or cauliflorate without branching at the distal tips. Number of processes is ~15 per 10 x 10 µm2. The archeopyle is therophylic probably along the plate boundaries of 2‘/1a, 2‘/2a, 3‘/2a, 4‘/2a, 4‘/6“, 4‘/7“.
Dimensions: Cyst body diameter: 27 - 34 µm; length of processes: 5 to 7 µm.
Motile affinity: Protoperidinium tricingulatum
Stratigraphic range: Pleistocene to recent
Comparison with other species:
P. tricingulatum most closely resembles cysts of Archaeperidinium saanichii and Archaeperidinium minutum in having capitate processes. The only difference is that A. saanichi has hollow rather than apiculocavate processes and has a therophylic archeopyle along the 2th, 3th and 4th apical plates rather than the 2a plate. Furthermore it has less processes per 10 x 10 µm2 namely 15 whereas, cysts of A. saanichi and A. minutum have 30 processes per 10 x 10 µm2.
Characteristics:
Sphaerical brown cysts with randomly distributed apiculocavate processes. Cell wall is smooth to finely granulate. Processes are solid with exception of a hollow basis that is circular in cross section. Processes are capitate or cauliflorate without branching at the distal tips. Number of processes is ~15 per 10 x 10 µm2. The archeopyle is therophylic probably along the plate boundaries of 2‘/1a, 2‘/2a, 3‘/2a, 4‘/2a, 4‘/6“, 4‘/7“.
Dimensions: Cyst body diameter: 27 - 34 µm; length of processes: 5 to 7 µm.
Motile affinity: Protoperidinium tricingulatum
Stratigraphic range: Pleistocene to recent
Comparison with other species:
P. tricingulatum most closely resembles cysts of Archaeperidinium saanichii and Archaeperidinium minutum in having capitate processes. The only difference is that A. saanichi has hollow rather than apiculocavate processes and has a therophylic archeopyle along the 2th, 3th and 4th apical plates rather than the 2a plate. Furthermore it has less processes per 10 x 10 µm2 namely 15 whereas, cysts of A. saanichi and A. minutum have 30 processes per 10 x 10 µm2.