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September 12, 2026Acta Protozoologica2 citationsOpen Access

Papposphaera heldalii sp. nov. (Haptophyta, Papposphaeraceae) from Svalbard

HTHelge Abildhauge ThomsenJEJorun K. Egge

Key Points

  • Establish the taxonomy of polar lightly calcified coccolithophores through the formal description of a novel Papposphaera species from Svalbard.
  • Morphological and ultrastructural analysis of nanoplankton samples collected from Svalbard waters.
  • Comparative taxonomic evaluation of coccolith calcification and calyx architecture against existing Papposphaera species.
  • Formal description of Papposphaera heldalii sp. nov., uniquely distinguished by a modified P. sagittifera-style calyx design and complete absence of central area calcification on body coccoliths.
  • Delineation of an Arctic morphological gradient spanning five species (P. sagittifera, P. sarion, P. arctica, P. iugifera, and P. heldalii) exhibiting progressive loss of body coccolith calcification.
  • Confirmation that P. heldalii represents a previously undetected taxon absent from decades of prior Arctic transmission electron microscopy surveys.

Abstract

This dataset contains the digitized treatments in Plazi based on the original journal article Thomsen, Helge Abildhauge, Egge, Jorun Karin (2016): Papposphaera heldalii sp. nov. (Haptophyta, Papposphaeraceae) from Svalbard. Acta Protozoologica 55 (1): 27-32, DOI: 10.4467/16890027AP.16.004.4045, URL: https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/916a50c3-3b5f-343b-b365-8f3524645ce0/ Abstract. In an attempt to establish a taxonomy for the polar contingent of lightly calcified coccolithophores, we are currently dealing with species of Papposphaera. Here we describe a new species, Papposphaera heldalii sp. nov., based on material from Svalbard. The species is unique in terms of calyx design, which is an elegant modification of the standard P. sagittifera theme, and also in terms of the absence of central area calcification in body coccoliths. The species thus occupies a further step in a sequence of five Arctic forms ranging from P. sagittifera via P. sarion, P. arctica and P. iugifera to P. heldalii showing a gradual reduction of central area calcification in body coccoliths. P. heldalii is unique also in the sense that the species has not been found during any of the major Arctic TEM nanoplankton surveys conducted during the last decades.

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Cite This Study

Thomsen et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6aa51e69327956e4761f849chttps://doi.org/10.15468/arbshb
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