Polysaccammina hyperhalina

Camacho, S, Moura, D, Connor, S, Scott, DB & Boski, T, 2015, Taxonomy, ecology and biogeographical trends of dominant benthic foraminifera species from an Atlantic-Mediterranean estuary (the Guadiana, southeast Portugal), Palaeontologia Electronica 52 (4), pp. 1-37 : 17

Polysaccammina hyperhalina (Medioli, Scott and Petrucci, 1983 in Petrucci et al., 1983)

Figure 2.4-2.6

1870 Lituola findens Parker, 1870 ; Dawson, p. 8, fig. 1.

1913 Reophax findens (Parker, 1870) ; Rhumbler, p. 466, fig. CLXXV.

1983 Polysaccammina hyperhalina Medioli, Scott and Petrucci ; Petrucci, Medioli, Scott, Pianetti and Cavazzini, p. 73, 74, pl. 1, 2.

1996 Reophax moniliformis Siddall, 1886 ; Redois and Debenay, p. 258, pl. 1, fig. 3.

2005 Polysaccammina hyperhalina Medioli, Scott and Petrucci ; Barbosa, Scott, Seoane and Turcq, p. 40, pl. 1, figs. 10, 11.

Morphological description. Test coarsely to fine agglutinated, usually uniserial but often irregular and sometimes branching ( Figure 2.5 ); chambers of irregular shape, either regularly increasing in size or remaining of the same size throughout; test flexible due to an inner pseudochitinous lining which can be observed at broken chamber connections; aperture terminal, round and ivaginated to form a inner, backward pointing funnel ( Figure 2.6 ).

Occurrence. Common and nearly constant agglutinated species; more common at the lower reaches of the estuary; in winter, its distribution seems restricted to the lower elevation zones, whilst in summer it reaches higher abundances at both the middle and lower elevations of the marshes.

Remarks. This species has a fragile test, easily broken during washing.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Scanning electron micrographs of the foraminifera specimens. Scale bar equals 100 µm. 1-3- Three different specimens of Polysaccammina ipohalina Scott, 1976b, illustrating the differences in size and form. In all specimens it is possible to see attached organic matter; 4-5- Polysaccammina hyperhalina Medioli, Scott, and Petrucci, 1983. 4- complete specimen of P. hyperhalina; 5- aperture view; 6- specimen with several side branches; 7-10- different sized specimens of Ammovertellina sp.; 11-14- various specimens of Reophax nana Rhumbler, 1913; 15-17- Leptohalysis scottii (Chaster, 1892); 15 and 16- side view of two complete specimens; 17- detail on the agglutination of the last chamber; 18- complete specimen of Ammobaculites exiguus Cushman and Brönnimann, 1948b; 19- Ammobaculites sp. with the uncoiled portion broken; 20-22- Ammotium salsum (Cushman and Brönnimann, 1948a); 20- best specimen; 21- smaller specimen; 22- aperture detail; 23- Ammotium sp.; 24-26- different specimens of Miliammina fusca (Brady, 1870); 27-28- Miliammina obliqua Heron-Allen and Earland, 1930; 27- view of the interio-marginal arch of the aperture; 29-30- Arenoparrella mexicana (Kornfeld, 1931); 29- ventral side with view to main aperture and supplementary apertures; 30- dorsal side with view to supplementary apertures; 31-32- Deuterammina eddystonensis Brönnimann and Whittaker, 1990; 31- dorsal view; 32- ventral view; 33-35- Jadammina macrescens (Brady, 1870); 33- dorsal view; 34- ventral view; 35- dorsal view of a deformed test.