Karenia papilionacea A.Į.Haywood et K.A.Steidinger 2004

Al-Kandari, Research Article Manal, Saburova, Maria, Polikarpov, Igor, Larsen, Jacob, Lundholm, Nina & Hussain, Sumaiah, 2025, Morphological and molecular characterization of Kareniaceae (Dinophyceae, Gymnodiniales) in Kuwait’s waters, Botanica Marina (Warsaw, Poland) 68 (2), pp. 155-173 : 161

3.1.1 Karenia papilionacea A.Į.Haywood et K.A.Steidinger 2004

The cells were solitary, transversely elongated, wider than long, dorsoventrally compressed, dorsally convex and ventrally concave, 34 – 41 μm long, and 38 – 44 μm wide, with a length to width ratio of about 0.9 ( Figure 2 ). The epicone possessed a pointed apical protrusion (carina). The hypocone was bilobed with a deeply excavated antapex ( Figure 2A, B, D – F, H – N ). The cingulum was slightly pre-median to median, descending, and displaced by about one cingular width ( Figure 2B, I, L ). The sulcus continued as a short open extension onto the epicone ( Figure 2B, D, L ). A short linear apical groove bisected the apex and extended to about one-third of the dorsal epicone ( Figure 2A, D, I, L, M ). The nucleus was spherical and located in the left lobe of the hypocone, as seen in the ventral view ( Figure 2A, B, E, H, K, N ). The cytoplasm contained numerous (16 – 26) kidney-shaped to elongated, golden-brown chloroplasts located peripherally ( Figure 2C, G ). Swimming cells were able to bend along the longitudinal axis, resulting in slow movements resembling a flying butterfly ( Figure 2O – R ).

Figures

Figure 2: Light micrographs of Karenia papilionacea cells (Figure 2A–C: strain KW-F3- 015;Figure 2D–G: strain KW-E1-014; Figure 2N: strain KW-G4-062; Figure 2H–M, O-R: isolates from field samples; arrows point to the apical groove; arrowheads point to the open sulcal extension onto the epicone; n marks the nucleus): (A, B) ventral view showing apical groove, open-ended sulcus onto the epicone, and nucleus in the left lobe of hypocone; (C) epifluorescence microscopy under bluelight illumination showing numerous kidneyshaped chloroplasts; (D, E) ventral and dorsal views of the same cell showing apical groove, sulcus, and nucleus; (F) apical view in deep focus showing dorso-ventral compression; (G) epifluorescence microscopy showing several elongated chloroplasts; (H) two cells in ventral and dorsal view; (I–K) cells in left lateral, apical, and antapical views showing dorso-ventral compression; (L) ventral view showing apical groove and open-ended sulcus onto the epicone; (M) dorsal view showing apical groove over epicone; (N) Lugol’s-fixed cell in ventral view; (O–R) contracted cells during butterfly-like movement. Scale bars: 10 µm.