Heleopera baetica
H. baetica, after Soler-Zamora, González-Miguéns and Lara, 2021

Heleopera baetica Soler-Zamora, González-Miguéns and Lara, 2021

Diagnosis: Yellowish test with oval form, slightly wider in the aboral than in oral part, giving the shell a slightly pyriform outline. Total absence of lips around the aperture. The aperture does not occupy the whole oral side. The test is reinforced with siliceous elements taken from preys; diatom frustules and scales from the filose testate amoebae (Euglyphida) genera Euglypha and Tracheleuglypha. These elements are intertwined without any particular order, except in the oral and aboral sides where they are absent. The aperture is slit-like, like in most members of the genus Heleopera. Pseudopodia are atypical for Heleopera in the sense that active individuals display only two or three very long ones (i.e., the length of the test), while most other members of the genus produce many but shorter pseudopodia, reminding H. petricola sensu Ogden (1991)

Dimensions: Width 36–42 µm, length 60–69 µm, aperture 15–23 µm (n = 7) .

Habitat: Type locality. Dimly lit cave wall at 500 m from the entrance of the cave of the Hundidero in the municipality of Montejaque, Malaga, Spain.

Remarks: Heleopera baetica differs from H. sylvatica Penard, 1890 by the lack of vertical scales in the aboral zone of the test, the absence of an organic lip surrounding the aperture, the yellowish color of the test and the large atypical pseudopodia. The variety Heleopera sylvatica var. inflata Schönborn, 1964 differs in the wider shape and larger size of the aperture. The variety Heleopera petricola var. humicola Bonnet and Thomas, 1955 has a convex aperture as opposed to the concave shape in H. baetica. Finally, pseudopodia number and shape similar to those of H. baetica have been only observed in H. petricola sensu (Ogden, 1991), which is much larger. This trait has been observed only in a limited number of specimens found active; more observations would be needed to draw  any definitive conclusion.

Ferry Siemensma, created January 25, 2022; last modified October 16, 2024
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