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Name derivation:

"Rod sphere" -- Rod Rhabdo- sphere -sphaera. Named by Haeckel, 1894. There are approximately 17 described species (online).

Classification:

Rhabdosphaera  Haeckel  1894;  7 of 14 species descriptions are currently accepted taxonomically (Guiry and Guiry 2013).

Order Syracosphaerales;  Family Rhabdosphaeraceae, or Order Coccosphaerales, Family Rhabdosphaeraceae (Heimdal 1997).

Synonym:  Rhabdolithes

Morphology:

Coccosphere: Dimorphic with inner spine-bearing and outer non spine-bearing coccoliths, distributed around coccosphere. Usually non-motile and no differentiation of circum-flagella coccoliths but occasional cells with flagella have been observed (Jeremy Young online).

Similar genera:

Palusphaera -similar to Rhabdosphaera but monomorphic, all coccoiths have spines. (online)

Habitat:

Marine.

References:

Guiry, M.D. and G.M. Guiry  2013.  AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway.  http://www.algaebase.org; searched on 30 April 2013.

Heimdal, B.R.  1993.  Modern coccolithophorids. In:  Identifying marine phytoplankton. (Tomas, C.R. Eds), pp. 731-834. San Diego: Academic Press.