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.