Spumellaria is an order of
radiolarian
The Radiolaria, also called Radiozoa, are protozoa of diameter 0.1–0.2 mm that produce intricate mineral skeletons, typically with a central capsule dividing the cell into the inner and outer portions of endoplasm and ectoplasm. The elab ...
s in the class
Polycystinea. They are ameboid
protists
A protist () is any eukaryotic organism (that is, an organism whose cells contain a cell nucleus) that is not an animal, plant, or fungus. While it is likely that protists share a common ancestor (the last eukaryotic common ancestor), the exc ...
appearing in abundance in the world's oceans, possessing a radially-symmetrical silica (opal) skeleton that has ensured their preservation in fossil records. They belong among the oldest Polycystine organisms, dating back to the lower
Cambrian
The Cambrian Period ( ; sometimes symbolized Ꞓ) was the first geological period of the Paleozoic Era, and of the Phanerozoic Eon. The Cambrian lasted 53.4 million years from the end of the preceding Ediacaran Period 538.8 million years ago ...
(ca. 515 million years). Historically, many concentric radiolarians have been included in the ''Spumellaria'' order based on the absence of the initial spicular system, an early-develop structure that, by its lacking, sets them apart from ''
Entactinaria'' despite their similar morphology.
Mendez Sandin. Diversity and Evolution of Nassellaria and Spumellaria (Radiolaria). Protistology. Sorbonne Université, 2019. English. Accessed at: https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-03137926/file/MENDEZ_SANDIN_Miguel_2019.pdf on 2022-10-18 Living exemplars of the order feed by catching prey, such as
copepod
Copepods (; meaning "oar-feet") are a group of small crustaceans found in nearly every freshwater and saltwater habitat. Some species are planktonic (inhabiting sea waters), some are benthic (living on the ocean floor), a number of species have ...
nauplii or
tintinnids
Tintinnids are ciliates of the choreotrich order Tintinnida, distinguished by vase-shaped shells, the name deriving from a Latin source meaning a small tinkling bell, that are called'' loricae'', which are mostly protein but may incorporate minu ...
, on the adhesive ends of their
pseudopodia
A pseudopod or pseudopodium (plural: pseudopods or pseudopodia) is a temporary arm-like projection of a eukaryotic cell membrane that is emerged in the direction of movement. Filled with cytoplasm, pseudopodia primarily consist of actin filament ...
extending radially from their skeleton; however, some have been observed as
mixotrophs A mixotroph is an organism that can use a mix of different sources of energy and carbon, instead of having a single trophic mode on the continuum from complete autotrophy at one end to heterotrophy at the other. It is estimated that mixotrophs co ...
living in symbiosis with various photosynthetic algal organisms such as
dinoflagellates
The dinoflagellates ( Greek δῖνος ''dinos'' "whirling" and Latin ''flagellum'' "whip, scourge") are a monophyletic group of single-celled eukaryotes constituting the phylum Dinoflagellata and are usually considered algae. Dinoflagellates ...
,
cyanobacteria
Cyanobacteria (), also known as Cyanophyta, are a phylum of gram-negative bacteria that obtain energy via photosynthesis. The name ''cyanobacteria'' refers to their color (), which similarly forms the basis of cyanobacteria's common name, bl ...
,
prasinophytes
The prasinophytes are a group of unicellular green algae. Prasinophytes mainly include marine planktonic species, as well as some freshwater representatives.Sym, S. D. and Pienaar, R. N. 1993. The class Prasinophyceae. In Round, F. E. and Chapm ...
or
haptophytes, which may cause their distribution to center in the greatest abundance and diversity within trophical waters.
Families
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Actinommidae
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Anakrusidae
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Angulobracchiidae
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Archaeospongoprunidae
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Astrosphaeridae
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Bolenidae
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Catenopylidae
Catenopylidae is a family of radiolarians in the order Spumellaria
Spumellaria is an order of radiolarians in the class Polycystinea. They are ameboid protists appearing in abundance in the world's oceans, possessing a radially-symmetrical si ...
*
Cavaspongiidae ''This article needs citations to reliable sources.''
Cavaspongiidae is a family of radiolarians in the order Spumellaria
Spumellaria is an order of radiolarians in the class Polycystinea. They are ameboid protists appearing in abundance in t ...
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Coccodiscidae
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Conocaryommidae
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Dactyliosphaeridae
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Emiluviidae
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Entapiidae
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Ethmosphaeridae
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Gomberellidae
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Hagiastridae
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Heliodiscidae
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Hexaporobrachiidae
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Larnacillidae
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Leugeonidae
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Litheliidae
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Miropylidae
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Myelastridae
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Oertlispongidae
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Orbiculiformidae
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Pantanelliidae
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Parasaturnalidae
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Parvivaccidae
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Patulibracchiidae
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Patruliidae
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Phacodiscidae
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Phaseliformidae
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Praeconocaryommidae
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Pseudoacanthocircidae
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Pseudoaulophacidae
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Pyloniidae
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Pyramispongiidae
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Relindellidae
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Spongodiscidae
Spongodiscidae is a family of radiolarians in the order Spumellaria. According to the original description by Ernst Haeckel
Ernst Heinrich Philipp August Haeckel (; 16 February 1834 – 9 August 1919) was a German zoologist, naturalist, e ...
*
Sponguridae
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Stylosphaeridae
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Thalassicollidae
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Tholoniidae
Tholoniidae is a family of radiolarians in the order Spumellaria
Spumellaria is an order of radiolarians in the class Polycystinea. They are ameboid protists appearing in abundance in the world's oceans, possessing a radially-symmetrical sili ...
*
Tritrabidae
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Veghicycliidae
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Xiphostylidae
In addition, several
taxa
In biology, a taxon (back-formation from ''taxonomy''; plural taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular nam ...
in this order are still considered ''incertae sedis''.
Gallery
File:Haeckel Spumellaria detail.png, ''Hexancistra quadricuspis'' shell (Haeckel
Ernst Heinrich Philipp August Haeckel (; 16 February 1834 – 9 August 1919) was a German zoologist, naturalist, eugenicist, philosopher, physician, professor, marine biologist and artist. He discovered, described and named thousands of new s ...
)
File:Haeckel Spumellaria.jpg, Shells of (mostly) Spumellaria (Haeckel)
File:Radiolaria (Challenger) Plate 014.jpg, Spumellaria from the Challenger Expedition
The ''Challenger'' expedition of 1872–1876 was a scientific program that made many discoveries to lay the foundation of oceanography. The expedition was named after the naval vessel that undertook the trip, .
The expedition, initiated by Wi ...
References
External links
Polycystines
Retaria orders
{{Radiolarian-stub