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Spiculodinium neptuni
From Fensome et al., 2019:
Spiculodinium neptuni (Eisenack, 1958a, p.399, pl.26, figs.7–8; text-fig.8) Duxbury, 2018, p.193. Emendations: Duxbury, 1983, p.55, as Spiniferites neptuni; Sarjeant, 1985a, p.89–90,92, as Florentinia? neptuni. Holotype: Eisenack, 1958a, pl.26, fig.7. Originally Baltisphaeridium (Appendix A), subsequently Achomosphaera, thirdly Achomosphaera?, fourthly Spiniferites, fifthly Florentinia?, sixthly (and now) Spiculodinium. Since the epithet is based on a familiar name with an existing Latin genitive, it ends in "i" rather than "ii" (ICN Recommendation 60C.2). Age: Early Cretaceous.
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Original description: Eisenack 1958, p. 399: Baltisphaeridium neptuni
Diagnosis: Shell with thin wall, spherical to oval, covered with few, broadly based, cylindrical to weakly conical appendices; these are thin-walled, hollow and distally usually divided into 3 (more rarely 2 or 4) strongly diverging, mostly widely diverging, pointed processes. The length of the appendices is about half the central body diameter, or slightly shorter.
Dimensions: 12 specimens: shell diameter 40-60 µm, total diameter 75-95 µm; Holotype 48 µm and 88 µm respectively.
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Emended diagnosis: Duxbury, 1983, p. 55
A chorate dinoflagellate cyst species possessing a faintly thick-walled, fibro-reticulate central body. Trifurcate gonal and bifurcate parasutural processes are present and 5these may be proximally connected by low crests. Rarely, the processes may have a secondary bifurcation . The archaeopyle is single paraplate precingular (3'').
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Emended description: Sarjeant, 1985, p.90, 92
Proximochorate to chorate cysts, intratabulate, with a spheroidal to broadly ovoidal central body. Processes all closed distally and of three principal types: (a) Large and cylindrical or compressed-cylindrical or saddle-shaped processes, giving rise to 4--6 short, bifurcate or ramifying branches, correspond to the largest paraplates. These processes exhibit, frequently or consistently, perforations of variable size and density; (b) Tubiform to ipniate or slightly tapering processes of smaller dimension, trifurcate or tetrafurcate c;istally and again often perforate, correspond to the other paraplates of the epitract and hypotract. These vary in size in relation to the paraplate to which they correspond; (c) Unbranched processes, acuminate or tapering, correspond to some, at least, of the small sulcal paraplates. Length of processes around 30% of the central body breadth. Sutures between paraplates not marked. Paratabulation gonyaulacacean, probably 4', 0a, 6", 6c, 5"?, 6''', 1p, 1''''. Surface of phragma granulate to shagreenate or reticulate.
Archaeopyle probably single-plate precingular (type P), formed by loss of paraplate 3".
Spiculodinium neptuni (Eisenack, 1958a, p.399, pl.26, figs.7–8; text-fig.8) Duxbury, 2018, p.193. Emendations: Duxbury, 1983, p.55, as Spiniferites neptuni; Sarjeant, 1985a, p.89–90,92, as Florentinia? neptuni. Holotype: Eisenack, 1958a, pl.26, fig.7. Originally Baltisphaeridium (Appendix A), subsequently Achomosphaera, thirdly Achomosphaera?, fourthly Spiniferites, fifthly Florentinia?, sixthly (and now) Spiculodinium. Since the epithet is based on a familiar name with an existing Latin genitive, it ends in "i" rather than "ii" (ICN Recommendation 60C.2). Age: Early Cretaceous.
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Original description: Eisenack 1958, p. 399: Baltisphaeridium neptuni
Diagnosis: Shell with thin wall, spherical to oval, covered with few, broadly based, cylindrical to weakly conical appendices; these are thin-walled, hollow and distally usually divided into 3 (more rarely 2 or 4) strongly diverging, mostly widely diverging, pointed processes. The length of the appendices is about half the central body diameter, or slightly shorter.
Dimensions: 12 specimens: shell diameter 40-60 µm, total diameter 75-95 µm; Holotype 48 µm and 88 µm respectively.
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Emended diagnosis: Duxbury, 1983, p. 55
A chorate dinoflagellate cyst species possessing a faintly thick-walled, fibro-reticulate central body. Trifurcate gonal and bifurcate parasutural processes are present and 5these may be proximally connected by low crests. Rarely, the processes may have a secondary bifurcation . The archaeopyle is single paraplate precingular (3'').
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Emended description: Sarjeant, 1985, p.90, 92
Proximochorate to chorate cysts, intratabulate, with a spheroidal to broadly ovoidal central body. Processes all closed distally and of three principal types: (a) Large and cylindrical or compressed-cylindrical or saddle-shaped processes, giving rise to 4--6 short, bifurcate or ramifying branches, correspond to the largest paraplates. These processes exhibit, frequently or consistently, perforations of variable size and density; (b) Tubiform to ipniate or slightly tapering processes of smaller dimension, trifurcate or tetrafurcate c;istally and again often perforate, correspond to the other paraplates of the epitract and hypotract. These vary in size in relation to the paraplate to which they correspond; (c) Unbranched processes, acuminate or tapering, correspond to some, at least, of the small sulcal paraplates. Length of processes around 30% of the central body breadth. Sutures between paraplates not marked. Paratabulation gonyaulacacean, probably 4', 0a, 6", 6c, 5"?, 6''', 1p, 1''''. Surface of phragma granulate to shagreenate or reticulate.
Archaeopyle probably single-plate precingular (type P), formed by loss of paraplate 3".