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Prolixosphaeridium capitatum

Prolixosphaeridium capitatum (Cookson and Eisenack, 1960) Singh, 1971

NOW Barbatacysta. Originally Hystrichosphaeridium, subsequently Prolixosphaeridium, thirdly Tenua Eisenack, fourthly Batiacasphaera, fifthly (and now) Barbatacysta. Gitmez and Sarjeant, 1972 transferred this species to Tenua0

Holotype: Cookson and Eisenack, 1960, pl.39, fig.9
Locus typicus: SSW of Broome, Canning Basin, Australia
Stratum typicum: Oxfordian-Kimmeridgian

Original description: Cookson and Eisenack, 1960, p.252: Hystrichsphaeridium capitatum
Shell cylindrical with rounded ends, densely covered with short, solid processes with capitate or somewhat bifurcated ends and an opening by the complete detachment of one end of the shell.
Dimensions: Holotype: 64µm long, 42µm broad, overall 72x50µm. Range of shell 64-66x28-44µm.

Supplemental description: Gitmez and Sarjeant, 1972, p.189: Tenua capitata
Cyst spherical to elongate, with an apical archaeopyle and rounded antapex, bearing processes whose length sometimes reaches to one-third of the shell breadth and which number around fifty. The processes are hollow, capitate or briefly bifurcate, their distribution appearing random.

Affinities:
Cookson and Eisenack, 1960, p.252: Hystrichsphaeridium capitatum
H. capitatum seems distinct from all described species of Hystrichosphaeridium with elongate shells; the appandages show some similarity to those of H. intermedia? O.Wetzel.
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