Wigwamma Manton, Sutherland and Oates 1977

Thomsen, Helge A. & Østergaard and Mikal Heldal, Jette B., 2013, Coccolithophorids in Polar Waters: Wigwamma spp. Revisited, Acta Protozoologica 52, pp. 237-256 : 240

Wigwamma Manton, Sutherland and Oates 1977

The genus Wigwamma comprises approximately 5 µm sized nanoflagellates with two flagella and a somewhat shorter haptonema. The cell surface is covered by two layers of different-sized organic scales. The inner layer (see e.g. Figs 16, 38) consists of small rimless scales with a patterning consisting of both radial elements and arcs of circular threads with focal points differing from the geometrical centre of the scale ( Manton et al. 1977). The somewhat larger scales forming the exterior layer has a similar plate patterning but is additionally calcified along the rim (narrow-rimmed muroliths) and with all or some circum-flagellar scales carrying a superstructure of rod-shaped crystallites converging to a single point distally. The rim calcification typically consists of two tiers of differently sized rectangular crystallites.

The genus currently comprises 5 species: W. arctica Manton, Sutherland and Oates 1977 (type species), W. annulifera Manton, Sutherland and Oates 1977 , W. antarctica Thomsen in Thomsen et al. 1988, W. triradiata Thomsen in Thomsen et al. 1988, and the somewhat enigmatic W. scenozonion Thomsen 1980 that is here transferred to Pseudowigwamma gen. nov. (see below). A sixth species, W. armatura sp. nov., is described below based on material from Antarctica. Biogeographical details of all taxa are accounted for in Table 2.

The small narrow-rimmed muroliths which is characteristic feature of species of Wigwamma suggest affinity with the Papposphaeraceae Jordan and Young 1990. The genus is treated under the heading ‘genera incertae sedis aff. Papposphaeraceae’ in Young et al. (2003).