Balanion comatum Wulff 1922

Nanoflagellates, small cryptophytes (410 µm)

Temperature: 10-12 ºC ; Salinity: 15-33 ?; euryhaline

Body dome-shaped to cylindrical (broadly ellipsoidal to globular), 15 (10-30) µm long and 10 (7-20) µm wide, posterior widely rounded or bluntly pointed, anterior truncated (flattened) a furrow separates the anterior end and the rest of body and gives the impression of a distinct lip around the anterior end (Fig 1, 2-5, 9, 10); one caudal cilium, 10-15 µm long (Fig 1, 3, 6-8), in a small depression - may be lost in Lugol?s samples.; Oral cavity centric, funnel-shaped; encircled by oral flaps and 40 (35-46) ciliated oral dikinetids (OD and OC) which often form an anterior tuft (Fig 1-6, 8-10), one flap per dikinetid; brosse (= brush) within the circle (Fig 1), short kineties or kinetal segments (can be reduced to few kinetosomes, not seen in Lugol?s fixed samples).; 25 (20-29) equally spaced somatic kineties, with 18 (12-26) monokinetids, cilia 5-8 µm long; extending to 3/4 (50-90%) of the cell length, posterior region unciliated (Fig 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9).; One macronucleus, ovoid to spherical (3-7 µm large), slightly anterior, acentrical (Fig 1, 5, 8); one adjacent micronucleus (Fig 5).

Cell oval with a dome-shaped anterior, distinct lip around the anterior end; oral cavity encircled by oral flaps and cilia (anterior tuft); equally spaced somatic kineties, extend to 3/4 of the cell length; posterior region unciliated except one caudal cilium; one macronucleus, ovoid to spherical

Swims in helices (19 body lengths s1), occasionally a fast jump of up to 1000 µm occurs, swimming is then resumed after 0.5 to 1 second.