Morphological development of resting cysts in cultures of the marine dinoflagellate Lingulodinium polyedrum (= L. Machaerophorum)

摘要: Abstract The previously undescribed morphological development of resting cysts the living marine dinoflagellate Lingulodinium ("Gonyaulax") polyedrum has been observed in laboratory cultures. Referred to as L. machaerophorum cyst‐based taxonomy, this species a fossil record extending back at least Early Eocene. In our cultures, planozygotes preparing encyst showed distinctive interstice peripheral cytoplasm and often displayed characteristic swimming behavior. transition from motile planozygote morphologically mature hypnozygote (resting cyst) took approximately 10–20 minutes. Encystment began with several events occurring simultaneously: (1) cell stopped came rest bottom observation chamber, (2) flagella were expelled their respective thecal grooves, (3) localized swelling membrane external theca formed bubble‐like protrusions on surface cell, (4) dissociate along one or more plate sutur...