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Litosphaeridium fucosum
Litosphaeridium fucosum (Valensi, 1955a, p.40; text-fig.2b) Masure in Fauconnier and Masure, 2004, p.378.
Holotype: Valensi, 1955a, text-fig.2b; Fauconnier and Masure, pl.52, figs.8-11.
Originally Micrhystridium, subsequently Hystrichosphaeridium, thirdly Polysphaeridium?, fourthly Dapsilidinium?, fifthly (and now) Litosphaeridium.
Taxonomic junior synonyms (at specific rank): Hystrichosphaeridium tubiferum subsp. brevispinum, according to Below (1982c, p.29); Hystrichosphaeridium (as and now Litosphaeridium) arundum, according to Below (1982c, p.29) - however, Lentin and Williams (1985, p.190,227) retained Hystrichosphaeridium tubiferum subsp. brevispinum and Litosphaeridium arundum.
Age: Late Cretaceous.
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Original description: [Valensi, 1955] (translated from French):
Micrhystridium fucosum n. sp.
Fig. 2 B.
Holotype (unique): Cretaceous flint from Venesmes.
The ovoid shell bears about twenty tube-like processes, the length of which is between one-third and one-half of its diameter. These tubes are hollow, circular in cross-section, and their cavity does not appear to communicate with that of the shell; slightly widened at their base, they flare slightly at their tip. The surface of the shell is granular and light brown in color.
The shell alone measures 20 to 24 μ, the processes 7 to 10 μ, and the entire span 30 to 35 μ. Despite the absence of spines on the edges of the terminal funnel of the processes, Micrhystridium fucosum is unquestionably a "Tubifer", but its small size and short processes distance it from Hystrichosphaeridum tubifer um and its more than double size, from Micrhystridium paulinae VAL., from the Jurassic.
Holotype: Valensi, 1955a, text-fig.2b; Fauconnier and Masure, pl.52, figs.8-11.
Originally Micrhystridium, subsequently Hystrichosphaeridium, thirdly Polysphaeridium?, fourthly Dapsilidinium?, fifthly (and now) Litosphaeridium.
Taxonomic junior synonyms (at specific rank): Hystrichosphaeridium tubiferum subsp. brevispinum, according to Below (1982c, p.29); Hystrichosphaeridium (as and now Litosphaeridium) arundum, according to Below (1982c, p.29) - however, Lentin and Williams (1985, p.190,227) retained Hystrichosphaeridium tubiferum subsp. brevispinum and Litosphaeridium arundum.
Age: Late Cretaceous.
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Original description: [Valensi, 1955] (translated from French):
Micrhystridium fucosum n. sp.
Fig. 2 B.
Holotype (unique): Cretaceous flint from Venesmes.
The ovoid shell bears about twenty tube-like processes, the length of which is between one-third and one-half of its diameter. These tubes are hollow, circular in cross-section, and their cavity does not appear to communicate with that of the shell; slightly widened at their base, they flare slightly at their tip. The surface of the shell is granular and light brown in color.
The shell alone measures 20 to 24 μ, the processes 7 to 10 μ, and the entire span 30 to 35 μ. Despite the absence of spines on the edges of the terminal funnel of the processes, Micrhystridium fucosum is unquestionably a "Tubifer", but its small size and short processes distance it from Hystrichosphaeridum tubifer um and its more than double size, from Micrhystridium paulinae VAL., from the Jurassic.