GLOBIPELORHIZA-SUBLITTORALIS GEN ET SP-N, A KOMOKIACEAN (PROTOZOA, FORAMINIFERIDA) FROM THE SCANDINAVIAN SUBLITTORAL

Globipelorhiza sublittoralis was collected at 60-721 m depth. This includes the first reliable records of a komokiacean from the sublittoral. The species has granuloreticular pseudopodia, which is evidence that the Komokiacea belongs to the Granuloreticulosea. It gathers detritus with its pseudopodia, and the bacterial growth on the detritus probably constitutes its main food. The burrowing and pseudopodial movements of G. sublittoralis are much slower than in other sublittoral foraminiferans. This and other observations suggest that komokiaceans have a low metabolic rate, and are adapted to environments with low bioturbation activity.