Rabdiophrys turrisfenestrata n. sp. (Rhizopoda, Pompholyxophryidae) from New Zealand

A new cristidiscoidid amoeba, Rabdiophrys turrisfenestrata, is described from electron-microscope observations on periplastidial scales collected from Lake Moeraki, a freshwater lake in the South Island of New Zealand. The new species is most closely related to R. tasmanica (CROOME) from Australian freshwaters, R. candelabra (THOMSEN) from marine waters near Denmark, and R. spiculata (MANTON et SUTHERLAND) from arctic and subarctic marine waters, from all of which it may be separated on the basis of scale structure and microcomputer-assisted plate-scale area measurements. R. turrisfenestrata is the second genus and fourth species of Pompholyxophryidae to be reported from New Zealand on the basis of electron-microscope observations; two of the four species are known only from this country. Plate scale area measurements, introduced as a potentially useful analytical technique for the taxonomic study of scale-bearing protists, also suggested that Pinaciophora rubicunda HERTWIG et LESSER is more closely related to R. denticulata (THOMSEN) than to R. thomsenii ROIJACKERS et SIEMENSMA.