Bullinularia foissneri Meisterfeld, 2008

Diagnosis: The shape of this species is variable. In ventral view the test is oval or egg‑shaped, rarely round; the ventral face is always more or less bellied. The aperture is close to the anterior end and lies at the bottom of a deep furrow. The ventral apertural lip is steeply invaginated, with a curved and thickened forward edge. The dorsal lip only partly covers the aperture; its edge is either bent forward or straight. Pores are always present, easily visible as brighter spots, but restricted to the dorsal lip and the apex of the test. In contrast to B. indica, they never occur on the ventral side of the shell. Under light‑microscopical observation at higher apertures, the lateral margins of the apertural furrow are out of focus.

In lateral view the tests are high; they sometimes resemble certain Hoogenraadia species, for example H. cryptostoma. The test is composed of a mixture of mineral particles of different sizes; on the ventral face these elements are smaller. The overall colour of the shells is light brownish, but at closer inspection one finds a mosaic of almost transparent as well as completely dark or brown particles. The cement between the mineral particles is dark. The surface of the test around the pseudostome and the apex is covered by smooth organic cement, whereas all other parts are more or less rough due to larger sand grains. The nucleus is large (about 35 µm across), ovular, with numerous small nucleoli.

Geographical distribution: Until now B. foissneri is only known from the type locality. However, Hoogenraad & De Groot (1948) figured in their work on the testate amoebae of New Zealand an egg‑shaped Bullinularia which they considered to be a monstrous form of B. indica. Their Fig. 16 resembles B. foissneri, suggesting that the species may also be present in New Zealand. A comparison with almost all published images of Bullinularia shows that a comparable form has never been illustrated, making it likely that B. foissneri is endemic to Australasia. After B. indica and B. gracilis, it is the third species known from Australia.

All from Meisterfeld, 2008.