Further observations on green flagellates with scaly flagella: the genus Heteromastix korshikov

Abstract

A light and electron microscopical study has been carried out on the morphology and microanatomy of two marine species of Heteromastix and less completely on two freshwater samples from the same genus, one only of which is named; this one is, however, important as the type species of the genus (H. angulata Korsh.). Agreement in salient features indicates that Bipedinomonas N. Carter andAnisomonas Butcher, under which the marine species were previously described, should be discarded as later synonyms of Heteromastix Korsh. Apart from the nomenclatural clarification the most important new findings concern the details of the periplast on cell body and flagella, the presence of stellate scales as well as plate-scales on both types of surface, the presence within the body of a starch shell not giving the normal colour reaction with iodine, and of a characteristic fibrous ‘root’ joining the flagellar bases to the plastid surface. A major finding of electron microscopical interest is the clarity with which the formation of scales and of flagellar hairs has been traced to the Golgi cisternae. These observations are an important addition to previous knowledge concerning genera of related green flagellates possibly referable to the class Prasinophyceae.