Actinocyclus octonarius Hendey
Division: Chromophyta
Class: Bacillariophyceae
Order: Biddulphiales
Suborder: Coscinodiscineae
Family: Hemidiscaceae Hendey
Genus: Actinocyclus Ehrenberg
Scientific name: Actinocyclus octonarius var. tenellus (Brébisson) Hendey
Species: octonarius
Variety: tenellus
Synonyms:
Actinocyclus ehrenbergii var. tenella (Brébisson) Hustedt; Actinocyclus tenellus (Brébisson) Grunow; Eupodiscus tenellus Brébisson
References:
Hustedt, 1930: p. 533, Fig. 302;Hendey, 1964: p. 84; Hendey, 1970: p.113.
Description:
Cells solitary; valves circular. Valve surface flat; divided into usually six sectors of loosely fasciolate striae. Puncta smaller as they approach the valve margin. Valve margin narrow, striate, apiculate; usually an apiculus is situated where the sectorial striae terminates on the valve margin. Diameter of valve 25-60 µm (Hendey, 1964).
Dimensions:
Valve diameter 38 µm.
Distribution:
Neritic species.
Sites of occurrence in RSA:
In Winter 2006 Cruise, a single specimen was recorded at one locality (St. 79) in the Strait of Hormuz area (refer site map). It has been previously reported in the inner RSA from Kuwaiti shore (Hendey, 1970) and coastal waters (Al-Kandari et al., 2009).