Report on the Radiolaria Collected by H.M.S. Challenger During the Years 1873-1876, First Part: Porulosa (Spumellaria and Acantharia) / Report on the Scientific Results of the Voyage of H.M.S. Challenger During the Years 1873-76, Vol. XVIII

by Ernst Haeckel

Thalassicolla sanguinolenta, Haeckel, 1870, Jenaische Zeitschr., Bd. v. p. 526, Taf. 18.

Thalassicolla sanguinolenta, Haeckel, 1870, Biolog. Studien, i. p. 113, Taf. iv.

Thalassicolla sanguinolenta, R. Hertwig, 1879, Organismus d. Radiol., p. 37, Taf. iii. fig. 1.

Myxobrachia rhopalum, Haeckel, 1870, Jenaische Zeitschr., Bd. v. p. 519, Taf. 18 (et in Biol. Stud., loc. cit.).

Myxobrachia pluteus, Haeckel, 1870, Jenaische Zeitschr., Bd. v. p. 520, Taf. 18 (et in Biol. Stud., loc. cit.).

Spherical body in the central part opaque, reddish, in the periphery transparent, yellowish. Central capsule compact, white, red spotted, with a thick elastic membrane, perforated by pores, but not areolated. Diameter of the central capsule three times that of the nucleus, one-fifth to one-eighth that of the jelly-envelope. Nucleus papillated, its spherical surface covered with numerous (80 to 120) conical or finger-like protuberances not longer than one-fourth or one-third of its radius. On the inside of these blind sacs lie numerous small roundish nucleoli. Protoplasm of the central capsule in the outer (cortical) zone (on the inside of the membrane) radially striped, with one layer of very numerous red oil-globules of equal size, producing its blood-spotted appearance; in the inner (medullary) zone foamy, with numerous small spherical vacuoles. Extracapsular jelly-body without dark pigment, contains between its alveoles no large protoplasmic lumps (as in Thalassophysa pelagica), but numerous small oil-globules and xanthellæ. This species sometimes amasses in its jelly-envelope large accumulations of Coccoliths and Coccospheres, which are much heavier than the jelly-body, and produce arm-like protuberances of it; this modified form, often of very regular and peculiar appearance, I formerly described as Myxobrachia (compare my Biolog. Studien, loc. cit., and Hertwig, loc. cit., p. 37). Compare also Myxobrachia cienkowski, Wagner, 1872, L. N. [23].

Dimensions.—Diameter of the whole jelly-sphere 5 to 8 mm., of the central capsule 1 to 1.2 mm., of its nucleus 0.3 to 0.4.

Habitat.—Canary Islands, Lanzerote; common, Haeckel; Mediterranean, Messina, Hertwig; surface.

3. Thalassophysa pelagica, Haeckel.

Thalassicolla pelagica, Haeckel, 1862, Monogr. d. Radiol., p. 247, Taf. i.