Description of Polylepidomonas
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Single-celled, free-swimming, Ochromonas-like, but with distinct siliceous plate-shaped scales on cell surface (scales clearly visible by electron microscopy only); flagella 2, unequal; short flagellum with a basal swelling closely appressed to cell surface underlain by anterior end of single, parietal chloroplast; eyespot lacking; cells also containing a contractile vacuole, food vacuoles and chrysolaminaran vacuole; reproduction and stomatocysts not observed; monotypic genus; occasionally observed in plankton of fresh and brackish waters. Thomsen et al. (1981) and Preisig & Hibberd (1983). Polylepidomonas is the pigmented counterpart of the colourless genus Paraphysomonas (q.v.). Polylepidomonas vacuolata (Thomsen in Thomsen et al 1981) Preisig et Hibberd 1983.
