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New species of the xenophyophore genus Aschemonella (Rhizaria: Foraminifera) from areas of the abyssal eastern Pacific licensed for polymetallic nodule exploration

New species of the xenophyophore genus Aschemonella (Rhizaria: Foraminifera) from areas of the abyssal eastern Pacific licensed for polymetallic nodule exploration
New species of the xenophyophore genus Aschemonella (Rhizaria: Foraminifera) from areas of the abyssal eastern Pacific licensed for polymetallic nodule exploration

We describe Aschemonella monile Gooday and Holzmann sp. nov. from the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ, abyssal eastern equatorial Pacific), a region characterized by commercially significant concentrations of polymetallic nodules. The new species is the most abundant xenophyophore (giant agglutinated foraminifera) in our main sampling area (12-14°N; 116°30′-117°26′W). Additional specimens originate from the central CCZ, and from a third area, ∼900 km NW of the main area, where A. monile numerically dominates the megabenthos in photographic surveys of the seafloor (average densities 1.54 individuals/m 2; peak densities > 3 individuals/m 2). Aschemonella monile is much larger (≥ 7 cm in length) than previously described species of the genus, with a test comprising an irregular sequence of self-contained, partly overlapping 'segments', creating a multichambered structure. A similar, much rarer species from the main study area, described here as Aschemonella aspera Gooday and Holzmann sp. nov., has an unsegmented test with a very rough, coarsely agglutinated wall. Genetic data suggest that A. monile is distinct from A. aspera and most closely related to a group comprising Rhizammina algaeformis and Aschemonella ramuliformis. Both new species have delicate tests that are often attached to nodule surfaces, making them particularly vulnerable to seafloor disturbances.

abyssal megafauna, biodiversity, Clarion-Clipperton Zone, deep-sea benthos, deep-sea mining, protist
0024-4082
479-499
Gooday, Andrew J.
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Holzmann, Maria
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Caulle, Clemence
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Goineau, Aurélie
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Jones, Daniel O.B.
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Kamenskaya, Olga
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Simon-Lledó, Erik
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Weber, Alexandra A.T.
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Pawlowski, Jan
c3b6b0e6-fb24-4452-a762-770f7eb91d72
Gooday, Andrew J.
d9331d67-d518-4cfb-baed-9df3333b05b9
Holzmann, Maria
b9cf3fc4-102d-4bbd-b245-9a778217569e
Caulle, Clemence
571aec03-6cc5-4a3f-9d96-ef856f47e68e
Goineau, Aurélie
9fe74a37-6d19-42e5-85d1-fe1243ce4fcc
Jones, Daniel O.B.
44fc07b3-5fb7-4bf5-9cec-78c78022613a
Kamenskaya, Olga
ec6d3a27-1c05-44cd-baa9-03d51be3e51f
Simon-Lledó, Erik
80f67b3a-44e7-466e-aed5-06b0ba788ca2
Weber, Alexandra A.T.
4ed5b5e4-2ec1-429b-90fe-9f2a1a2a7eb0
Pawlowski, Jan
c3b6b0e6-fb24-4452-a762-770f7eb91d72

Gooday, Andrew J., Holzmann, Maria, Caulle, Clemence, Goineau, Aurélie, Jones, Daniel O.B., Kamenskaya, Olga, Simon-Lledó, Erik, Weber, Alexandra A.T. and Pawlowski, Jan (2018) New species of the xenophyophore genus Aschemonella (Rhizaria: Foraminifera) from areas of the abyssal eastern Pacific licensed for polymetallic nodule exploration. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 182 (3), 479-499. (doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlx052).

Record type: Article

Abstract

We describe Aschemonella monile Gooday and Holzmann sp. nov. from the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ, abyssal eastern equatorial Pacific), a region characterized by commercially significant concentrations of polymetallic nodules. The new species is the most abundant xenophyophore (giant agglutinated foraminifera) in our main sampling area (12-14°N; 116°30′-117°26′W). Additional specimens originate from the central CCZ, and from a third area, ∼900 km NW of the main area, where A. monile numerically dominates the megabenthos in photographic surveys of the seafloor (average densities 1.54 individuals/m 2; peak densities > 3 individuals/m 2). Aschemonella monile is much larger (≥ 7 cm in length) than previously described species of the genus, with a test comprising an irregular sequence of self-contained, partly overlapping 'segments', creating a multichambered structure. A similar, much rarer species from the main study area, described here as Aschemonella aspera Gooday and Holzmann sp. nov., has an unsegmented test with a very rough, coarsely agglutinated wall. Genetic data suggest that A. monile is distinct from A. aspera and most closely related to a group comprising Rhizammina algaeformis and Aschemonella ramuliformis. Both new species have delicate tests that are often attached to nodule surfaces, making them particularly vulnerable to seafloor disturbances.

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Accepted/In Press date: 30 June 2017
e-pub ahead of print date: 14 October 2017
Published date: 17 March 2018
Keywords: abyssal megafauna, biodiversity, Clarion-Clipperton Zone, deep-sea benthos, deep-sea mining, protist

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 419700
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/419700
ISSN: 0024-4082
PURE UUID: cf818db7-cefa-4859-a78d-25703f0bca9f

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Date deposited: 19 Apr 2018 16:30
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 12:02

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Contributors

Author: Andrew J. Gooday
Author: Maria Holzmann
Author: Clemence Caulle
Author: Aurélie Goineau
Author: Daniel O.B. Jones
Author: Olga Kamenskaya
Author: Erik Simon-Lledó
Author: Alexandra A.T. Weber
Author: Jan Pawlowski

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