Lophophaena simplex Funakawa, 1994

Trubovitz, Sarah, Renaudie, Johan, Lazarus, David & Noble, Paula, 2022, Late Neogene Lophophaenidae (Nassellaria, Radiolaria) from the eastern equatorial Pacific, Zootaxa 5160 (1), pp. 1-158 : 66

Lophophaena simplex Funakawa, 1994

Plate 33, Figs. 8A – 9B .

Lophophaena simplex n. sp., Funakawa, 1994, pl. 8, figs. 1a–2c.

Remarks. Lophophaena simplex is described by Funakawa (1994) as having short spines on the cephalis unrelated to the apical and ventral spines, which are relatively weak. It has irregularly spaced pores and thoracic ribs that terminate as teeth. These characteristics were certainly true of the specimens we observed in the EEP. However, Funakawa (1994) also notes that some specimens showed an axobate (termed “axial projection”). This character was not clearly visible in the author’s published illustrations, and did not appear to be present on the two specimens we observed in the EEP (although it could have been broken off). Additional documentation will help clarify this species concept.

Range. Two specimens observed from the Middle Miocene, EEP ( Table 1 ). Funakawa (1994) described this species from Upper Miocene sediments on the east coast of Hokkaido, Japan.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Internal skeletal structure of Botryopera amabie n. sp.

FIGURE 9. Internal skeletal structure of Ceratocyrtis sp. C.