Galeripora balari, 2022

González-Miguéns, Rubén, Soler-Zamora, Carmen, Villar-Depablo, Mar, Todorov, Milcho & Lara, Enrique, 2022, Multiple convergences in the evolutionary history of the testate amoeba family Arcellidae (Amoebozoa: Arcellinida: Sphaerothecina): when the ecology rules the morphology, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 194 (4), pp. 1044-1071 : 1064

GALERIPORA BALARI GONZÁLEZ- MIGUÉNS & LARA, SP. NOV.

( FIG. 4 )

Z o o b a n k r e g i s t r a t i o n: u r n: l s i d: z o o b a n k. org:act: 8000271F-3AAD-4EBE-898B-29AB8908D5E2.

Holotype: MA-Algae11256.

Specific diagnosis: Test diameter: 72.95–84.20 µm, average 79.69 µm (N = 22); aperture 11.50–14.15 µm average 12.92 µm (N = 12). Colour ranges from transparent to yellow-orange. General test shape is rounded and flattened.

The aboral side of the test has a small elevation at the top that gives the test a hat shape; presence of several ridges elevate the test forming a dome and flap borders; the surface does not have pores and presents a granular pattern of irregular shape. The oral side of the test is smooth, covered with an organic matrix that prevents observation of the test building units, with a central aperture. Pores are localized on the brim of the oral side and around the aperture, following a circular pattern and curling slightly outwards to form a small ring or lip. The aperture is evaginated outwards forming a short ring or lip.

Intraspecific variability: The shape and number of ridges on the aboral side of the test can be variable. The number of pores around the aperture is variable. There may be certain deformations in the test that prevent it from having a perfectly circular morphology.

Diagnosis with closely related species: Galeripora balari can be diagnosed by its specific sequences of the mtDNA markers and by its phylogenetic placement (see Molecular phylogeny; Fig. 1 ). Differs morphologically from other Galeripora arenaria closely related species by presenting (1) morphometric differences (see Morphometrics and morphology; Fig. 2 ); (2) small pores along the edge of the base test; and (3) irregular and marked granulations of the top surface of the test.

Habitat: Mosses overhanging from a rock, in dry gypsum terrestrial.

Type locality: Spain, Castilla La Mancha, Cuenca (40°05’N 2°07’W).

Etymology: The name is derived from the Irish Celtic mythology ‘ Balar ’, which means ‘the flashing one’. Balar, a Fomorian leader, was described as a giant with a large eye that causes destruction when opened. He has been inferred as an incarnation of drought, plague and burning sun. We propose this name because the morphology of this species is similar to that of an eye, and because the type locality is a dry area.

Figures

Figure 1. Bayesian phylogenetic tree based on 52 partial sequences COI mtDNA data, 618-nucleotide position alignment. The posterior probability values (Bayesian analysis) and bootstrap values (maximum-likelihood) are represented at each node,with aletterrepresenting the differentmitochondrialclades along thebranches.The coloursrepresent themitochondrial clades that compose the different figures.Next to each species name is the original habitat (freshwater/Sphagnum/terrestrial mosses) and the section according to Deflandre (1928). The drawings show the tests of illustrative species in lateral and oral side views. Drawings by CSZ.

Figure 2. A, scatterplot of the scores of linear discriminants with x-axis representing discriminant function 1 (LD1) and y-axis representing discriminant function 2 (LD2). Colours represent the different mitochondrial clades and symbols refer to the different sections after Deflandre (1928): squares are for Section 1 ‘Vulgares’, circles for Section 2 ‘Carinatae’ and triangles for Section 3 ‘Aplanatae’. The drawings represent the different morphotypes. B, the table represents the results of a linear discriminant analysis which determines the relationship between predicted and observed specimens cells for each mitochondrial clade.

Figure 4. Galeripora galeriformis, Galeripora bufonipellita, Galeripora sitiens and Galeripora balari: scanning electron micrographs of the aboral and oral sides of the test. The images on the right represent detail of the test and the structure of the aperture. On the left, a photograph of a typical habitat for each species, original drawing of the closest resembling species Galeripora arenaria (Greef, 1866), and original drawings of the synonymized species Arcella microstoma Penard, 1890 and Arcella aureola Maggi, 1888.