Pleurochrysis

Coccolithophorids, cells either motile or non-motile. Diploid cells with elliptical organic base plate scales associated with monomorphic coccoliths (cricoliths) composed of two narrow shields of elements, naked meiospores released from coccolith-bearing cells settling and forming non-motile pseudofilaments (benthic phase); pseudo-filaments surrounded by many layers of rimless elliptical organic scales, motile cells, with 2 slightly to strongly unequal flagella, a short, bulbous haptonema (in some species the haptonema either absent or reduced to an internal trace), and two chloroplasts, each with a bulging pyrenoid, cells surrounded by several layers of circular organic scales and smaller, elliptical scales restricted to the flagellar area, both types of scale generally rimmed, although rimless in gametes and zoospores, coastal, planktonic-benthic, probably widespread distribution.

Pleurochrysis is a genus of haptophytes. It includes the species Pleurochrysis carterae, Pleurochrysis dentata, Pleurochrysis elongata, Pleurochrysis gayraliae, Pleurochrysis haptonemofera, Pleurochrysis placolithoides, Pleurochrysis pseudoroscoffensis, Pleurochrysis roscoffensis and Pleurochrysis scherffelii.