Proales globulifera (Hauer 1921)

Locus typicus: Quarry near Donaueschingen, Germany.

Reported for Mediterranean Sea: Italy, Venice lagoon; Baltic sea and in continental water: Germany, Italy, Danube, Austria, Ireland.

Food: small diatoms.

In limno- and potamopsammon, in algal films; mainly in the cold seasons. Marine and freshwater species.

Body vasiform in dorsal view; semiloricate; transparent. Body cavity with 4 symmetrically placed, spherical accumulations of light-refracting bodies. Head offset by neck-fold, quadratic. Trunk elliptical, dorsally arched, ventrally flattened; longitudinal folds laterally. Head and foot retractable in trunk. Foot long, c. 1/4-1/5 total length, slender, 2-3 pseudosegments, terminal pseudosegment longest. Toes long, slender, lanceolate. Corona simple, almost frontal, ciliary tuft above mouth. two frontal, red eyespots, sometimes fused; crystalline body present or not. No constriction between stomach and intestine. Gastric glands very large, rounded. pedal glands elongate, extending into trunk. Mastax very large. Incus small. Rami triangular, lateral ± blunt alulae. Fulcrum very short, rod-shaped in ventral view. Unci with one principal and 4 subsidiary teeth; ventral edge of principal tooth with blunt prominence. Manubria long, slightly asymmetrical, incurved posteriorly, short posterior and longer anterior lamella.

Length 130-200 µm, toe 21-25 µm;trophi 21-23 µm: fulcrum 5 µm, left manubrium 7 µm, right manubrium 15-17 µm, uncus 8-9 µm; spherical accumulation of light-refracting bodies up to 1.6 µm.