Reticulosphaera K.G.Grell, 1989, nom. inval.
Type species: a type species (generitype) appears not to have been designated.
Original publication and holotype designation: Grell, K.G. (1989). Reticulosphaera socialis n. gen. n. sp. a plasmodial and phagotrophic representative of the heterokont algae. Zeitschrift für Naturforschung 44C: 330-332, 1 fig.
Request PDFThe most recent alteration to this page was made on 2021-10-07 by M.D. Guiry.
Taxonomic status: The taxonomic or nomenclatural status (or both) of this entity is in some way unresolved and requires further investigation.
Gender: This genus name is currently treated as feminine.
Most recent taxonomic treatment adopted: Jordan, R.W., Cros, L. & Young, J.R. (2004). A revised classification scheme for living haptophytes. Micropaleontology 50(Suppl. 1): 55-79.
Comments: Cavalier-Smith (in Cavalier-Smith et al. 1996) proposed that the enigmatic genus Reticulosphaerais a haptophyte (not a heterokont organism, cf. Grell et al.1990) based on molecular data. Due to its numerous morphological differences from any definite haptophytes they placed it in a separate subclass, the Flavoretophycidae (syn. Class Flavoretea Cavalier-Smith 1993), as well as its own order, the Reticulosphaerales, and family Reticulosphaeraceae. Edvardsen et al. (2000) showed that the molecular sequence of Cavalier-Smith et al. (1996) was closely similar to that of Pleurochrysis spp. and so placed the family Reticulosphaeraceae within the order Coccolithales. They also, however, raised doubts about its haptophyte affinity after revising the morphological and life cycle observations of Grell (1990) and Grellet al.(1990). While Cavalier-Smith et al. (1996) used a strain derived from the type strain of R. japonicus for their molecular genetic analysis, they did not provide any evidence that they checked its identity prior to gene sequencing. As the morpholigical and genetic datasets support conflicting taxonomic ideas, Jordan et al. (2005) have decided to exclude this enigmatic organism from the haptophyte classification scheme until further checks can be made to ascertain its true identity and taxonomic position.
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Cite this record as:
M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 07 October 2021. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org; searched on 05 May 2024
