Massisteria marina Larsen and Patterson, 1990

Lee, Won Je & Patterson, David J., 2000, Heterotrophic flagellates (Protista) from marine sediments of Botany Bay, Australia, Journal of Natural History 34, pp. 483-562 : 543

Massisteria marina Larsen and Patterson, 1990

(fi gures 21q, 22f)

Description. Cells measuring 3-6.5 Mm, dorso-ventrally fl attened irregular body. Cells produce delicate pseudopodia with extrusomes, which extend radially from the cell and normally adhere to the substratum. Two short curved fl agella arise from the dorsal side of the cell and are relatively inactive. Rarely observed.

Remarks. Generally, our observations are in good agreement with those of Larsen and Patterson (1990). Previously reported size ranges are 2.5-5 Mm ( Patterson and Fenchel, 1990), 3-9 Mm ( Larsen and Patterson, 1990; Vørs, 1992a, 1992b), 4.2-7 Mm ( Ekebom et al., 1996), 2.5-4 Mm ( Tong, 1997a) and 2-9.5 Mm ( Tong et al., 1998). This species was found in marine sites in subtropica l and tropical Australia, Brazil, Denmark, Gulf of Finland, equatorial Paci fi c and Panama ( Larsen and Patterson, 1990; Vørs, 1992a, 1992b; Vørs et al., 1995; Ekebom et al., 1996; Tong, 1997a; Tong et al., 1998).