S17

Polysolenia murrayana (Haeckel)

Choenicosphaera murrayana Haeckel, 1887, p. 102, pl. 8, fig. 6

Polysolenia murrayana (Haeckel) Nigrini, 1968, p. 52, pl. 1, figs. 1a, b

DESCRIPTION "Shell thin-walled, smooth, usually spherical but sometimes ellipsoidal, with numerous irregularly scattered, subcircular pores of variable size, their diameter up to 1/6 of shell diameter. Seven to ten pores on a half-equator. Most pores bear a corona of 2-6 (usually 3) short, pointed spines. No spines between pores." (from Nigrini, 1968).

DIMENSIONS "Diameter of shell 127-184 microns. Length of spines up to 22 microns." (from Nigrini, 1968).

REMARKS

1. For a more complete synonymy see Nigrini, 1968.

2. Benson's (1966) description and dimensions of this species (Choenicosphaera murrayana Haeckel in Benson, p. 120) are consistent with the above.

Plate 2, figures 4a,b

S18

RECENT DISTRIBUTION

1. Benson, 1966 (Choenicosphaera murrayana); "This species is rare in the Gulf [of California] but is the dominant member of the family Collosphaeridae ... apparently an oceanic species little influenced by local conditions of upwelling."

2. Nigrini, 1968, text-fig. 3; "Abundant to few in the regions of the North and South Equatorial and Peru currents, but rare or absent in the region of the Equatorial Countercurrent."

3. Molina-Cruz, 1975, Code S34; used in factor analysis of southeast Pacific assemblages; cf. Appendix 10 for percent S34 at each station; mostly abundant in areas of coastal upwelling.

4. Morley, 1977 (note erroneous spelling in text) Fig. I-3; "This species loads highest in factor 1 (tropical). Samples containing high percentages of this species are located between 15 degrees and 30 degrees S. This species does not occur today south of 35 degrees S. At 18,000 YBP this species does not appear to occur south of 25 degrees S."