Cafeteria roenbergensis Fenchel and Patterson, 1988

Lee, Won Je & Patterson, David J., 2000, Heterotrophic flagellates (Protista) from marine sediments of Botany Bay, Australia, Journal of Natural History 34, pp. 483-562 : 538

Cafeteria roenbergensis Fenchel and Patterson, 1988

(fi gures 20g, 21d, e)

Description. Cells are D-shaped, 3.5-5 Mm long, and laterally compressed. There is a shallow groove on the left side of the cell. Two fl agella of similar length emerge subapically and are slightly longer than the cell. The anterior fl agellum is directed perpendicular to the ventral face of the cell of attached cells. The posterior fl agellum is reflexed, passing over one face of the cell and then attaching to the substratum by the tip. In swimming cells, the anterior fl agellum is directed forwards and beats with a sine-wave, and the posterior fl agellum is directed backwards and trails. Usually moves fast following a spiral path, but sometimes moves slowly. Food particles (bacteria) may be ingested near the posterior part of the ventral groove. Not common.

Remarks. Generally, our observations are consistent with descriptions of Fenchel and Patterson (1988) and Larsen and Patterson (1990). Previous studies reported the size range to be 1.5-10 Mm ( Fenchel and Patterson, 1988; Larsen and Patterson, 1990; Vørs, 1992a, 1992b, 1993a, 1993b; Patterson et al., 1993; Vørs et al., 1995; Ekebom et al., 1996; Patterson and Simpson, 1996; Tong, 1997 a, 1997b; Tong et al., 1997, 1998; Bernard et al., 1999). This species has been widely found from marine sites in Antarctica, subtropical and tropical Australia, North Atlantic, Baltic, Denmark, England, Gulf of Finland, Greenland and equatorial Paci fi c. This species resembles Cafeteria minuta ( Ruinen, 1938) Larsen and Patterson, 1990 in general appearance, but is distinguished because C. minuta has a longer anterior fl agellum. Cafeteria roenbergensis resembles C. marsupialis Larsen and Patterson, 1990 in general appearance and in having a short anterior fl agellum, but C. marsupialis is larger and has a ventral groove with a posterior channel leading into the cell. It may not be clearly distinguished from Acronema sippewissettensis ( Teal et al., 1998) , the fl agella of which are said to be acronematic. Cafeteria roenbergensis may occasionally occupy about 6-20% of the heterotrophic fl agellate population ( Fenchel, 1982; Tong, 1997b) and is cosmopolitan.