New Coccolithophores from the Deep Photic Zone: Implications for Evolutionary Morphological Convergence in the Calcareous Nannoplankton

We describe two new species of coccolithophores from the deep photic zone, and a new morphostructural type of coccolith, or cedrilith. These are among the smallest coccospheres and coccoliths, and are assignable to the newly described genus Solisphaera once its description is emended. Following taxonomic revision, we propose that the morphology of its coccosphere and morphostructure of its coccoliths constitute an additional, striking example of morphologic convergence in the coccolithophorids.