''Abathomphalus'' is a genus of foraminifera included in the Globotruncanid family. ''Abathomphalus'' was described and recorded in 1957 by Bolli, Loeblich, and Tappan and distinguished from related general by the "extra-umbilical position of the primary aperture and in the radial sutures on the umbilical side." The test forms a low to flat umbilicate trochospiral, with four to five petaloid chambers per whorl. Sutures are curved and oblique, the periphery angular to truncate, bearing two variously spaced keels bordered by an imperforate band. The wall is calcareous, perforate, with pustules and short costellae on the surface; the primary aperture interiomarginal. ''Abathomphalus'' is the sole genus of the subfamily Abathomphalinae, their descriptions being the same. Although ''Abathomphalus'' is included in the

planktonic Plankton are the diverse collection of organisms that drift in water (or air) but are unable to actively propel themselves against currents (or wind). The individual organisms constituting plankton are called plankters. In the ocean, they pro ...

suborder

Globigerinina The Globigerinina is a suborder of foraminiferans that are found as marine plankton. They produce hyaline calcareous Test (biology), tests, and are known as fossils from the Jurassic period onwards. The group has included more than 100 genera a ...

, its description is suggestive of

benthic The benthic zone is the ecological region at the lowest level of a body of water such as an ocean, lake, or stream, including the sediment surface and some sub-surface layers. The name comes from the Ancient Greek word (), meaning "the depths". ...

forms.

References

Abathomphalus
''uBio'' January 12, 2011. * Hans M. Bolli, John B. Saunders, & Katharina Perch-Nielsen,1989. Plankton stratigraphy: Planktic foraminifera, calcareous nannofossils and calpionellids; CUP Archiv

* Loeblich A.R. jr, & H Tappan, 1988. Forminiferal Genera and their classification. (e-book)

References

Further reading