Parasuttonium taiwanense nov. sp.

Figures 6 a-b

Description. Shell flat, large and thin with microsphere bearing 3 primary equidistant rays surrounded, toward the periphery of disc, by a tube and equally 3 short and wide intercallary arms without tubes or with partly formed ones. Microsphere slightly eccentric, with a bigger portion between the lateral primary rays and smaller and equal portions between lateral rays and the antapical ray. It has many densely and irregularly arranged circular pores. Deuteroconcha bilobed. Pores of shell circular, visibly larger than those of the microsphere and arranged either irregularly or in radial rows. The three primary rays thin, conical, needle-shaped, and more or less prolonged beyond the tubes into needle-shape spines. They are connected to the tube by irregularly arranged short branches. The apically prolonged tube of the holotype has also a central ray similar to the other three tubes.

Material. Two specimens, both from sample 83-481, section II, 73-75 cm of R / V Ocean Researcher 1 of National Science Council, Taiwan .

Holotype. Figure 6a, coll. MGL 103557.

Dimensions. Diameter of microsphere 20-21 μm, of shell with arms 205 μm, of axial spine 128 μm, angle between the three rays about 120°.

Etymology. The species is named from Taiwan since it comes from sediments cored in the Pacific area around Taiwan.

Occurrence: Western Pacific around Taiwan, superficial sediments, Quaternary.