The genus Bathysiphon (Protista,Foraminiferida) in the northeast Atlantic: SEM observations on the wall structure of seven species

The structure and composition of the test wall in seven species of Bathysiphon, a genus of large, tubular agglutinated foraminifers (Astrorhizacacea), have been studied using high-resolution SEM. In all cases the wall is composed mainly of quartz grains and varying proportions of sponge spicules which, in some species, show a characteristic orientation within the wall. Three species, B. capillare, B. flavidus and B. rufus, have a well-defined, but very thin (1 μm) outer layer consisting of flat-lying or imbricated plate-like mineral grains. Bathysiphon stictus has a less well-defined surface veneer of tiny mineral grains while in B. major the surface layer is composed of dark-grey or dark-brown particles of an indeterminate nature. The test fabric is rather open and, in all species, the intergranular spaces are partly occupied by an organic cement which forms either a meshwork of fine, branching and anastomozing fibres or shorter, column-like strands. All species also have an inner organic test lining. Thus, the basic structure and composition of the test wall is fairly uniform, but some features show interspecific variability. Some incidental observations on the organization of the protoplasmic body are also reported.