Anisonema strenuum, (Skuja, 1948) Larsen, 1987

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 : 507

Metanema strenuum ( Skuja, 1948) Larsen, 1987

(fi gures 6e, 8f, i)

Description. Biflagellate euglenid, ovate, about 22-27 Mm long, fl exible, fl attened, with a knob at fl agellar base. With a small posterior protruberance. There are about 24 very distinct striations on each face of the cell. Moves with a skidding action with the anterior fl agellum directed towards the right and the posterior one to the left. Both fl agella are slightly longer than the cell. The nucleus and reservoir are in the left-hand side of the cell. Ingestion organelle not visible. Rarely observed.

Remarks. This species was fi rst described as Anisonema strenuum by Skuja (1948) and transferre d to Metanema by Larsen (1987). Metanema strenuum from the Danish Wadden Sea measures 19-30 Mm ( Larsen, 1987). Our observations are generally in accordance with those of Larsen. This genus resembles some species of the genus Heteronema , the only difference being the presence of an ingestion organelle in Heteronema . This species resembles Heteronema larseni Lee and Patterson , n. sp. in general appearance and in having a posterior point, but it lacks an ingestion organelle and most cells are smaller. This species is similar to Metanema dexiotaxum ( Skuja, 1939) Larsen, 1987 in having a posterior point which was mentioned in the text and was shown in drawings of Skuja (1939), but M. dexiotaxum is slightly smaller (15-19 Mm) and has a shallow ventral groove. If further work shows that the sizes overlap, then these species should be regarded as conspeci fi c.