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Cyclonephelium inconspicuum

Cyclonephelium inconspicnum Duxbury, 1983

Holotype: Duxbury, 1983, pl.3, fig.6
Locus typicus: Compton Bay section, Isle of Wight, England
Stratum typicum: Late Aptian

Original diagnosis: Duxbury, 1983, p. 32
A species of Cyclonephelium which is roughly circular in outline but which possesses a left antapical projection. Ornament of a most distinctive nature is present around the dorsal and ventral periphery (mostly dorsal) and this takes the form of a punctate/microreticulate layer which is attached to the cyst by very short rods (approximately 1 Ám in height). Local increases in ornament height are apparent above the left antapical bulge and to the right of this. Where the ornament height increases, the microreticulum becomes more open. Paratabulation is lacking but six precingular paraplates may be inferred from parasutural splits around the apical archeopyle margin. The parasulcus if offset to the left.
Observed Dimensions: Holotype 58x64 µm. Complete specimens 75(70)64x73(67)64 µm. Operculum detached 61(58)49x73(67)58 µm.

Affinities:
Duxbury, 1983, p. 33: The species most comparable with C. inconspicuum are C. vannophorum Davey, 1969 and C. intonsum Duxbury C. inconspicuum differs from C. vannophorum in possessing a punctate/microreticulate layer which is separated from the cyst by very short rods, as opposed to the very irregular, spinose ornament of C. vannophorum which is variously connected along its length.
The body ornament of C. intonsum is very low but is nevertheless distally free. Whatever microreticulation may be observed is produced by lateral fusion of individual elements rather than distal fusion. Further, the ornament of C. intonsum is almost exclusively confined to the ventral surface whereas that of C. inconspicuum is on both surfaces, particularly the dorsal.
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