Morphological observations of the dinoflagellate Ceratium hirundinella are given and a key to the difference in types provided. Illustrations are included

Starmach, K.

English

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Freshwater Biological Association 
FBA Translation (New Series) No. 157 
Title: Translation of Ceratium hirundinella (O.F. Mull.) Bergh. 
1882 only. pp 395-400. 
Author(s) STARMACH, K. 
Reference: Flora Slodkowodna Polski. Volume 4 Cryptophyceae, 
Dinophyceae, Raphidophyceae. Warsaw. Polska Akademia Nauk. 
Original language: Polish 
Date of publication of original: 1974 
Translator: G. Jaworski 
Date of publication of translation: 1983 
Number of pages of translation: 8 
FBA Translations are to be considered as "provisional". As a rule 
they have not been prepared by expert translators. nor have they 
been edited by the original authors. 
They are available from The Librarian, 
Freshwater Biological Association. 
The Ferry House. 
Far Sawrey, 
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England. 
at the current rate for xerox copying. 
FBA TRANSLATION (N.S.) No 157 
STARMACH, K. (1974) [Translation of Ceratium hirundinella (O.F. Mull.) Bergh. 
1882 only. pp 395-400] Flora Slodkowodna Polski. Volume 4 Cryptophyceae, 
Dinophyceae, Raphidophyceae. Warsaw. Polska Akademia Nauk. 
Translated by: G. Jaworski 
pp. 395-400. Ceratium hirundinella (O.F. Mull.) Bergh 1882 
(= Bursaria hirundinella O.F. Muller; Ceratium macroceros Schrank 1802; 
C. tetraceros Schrank 1802; C. longicorne Perty 1849; C. brevicorne, 
C. leptoceros, C. pumilum Zacharias 1905; C. Handelii Skuja 1937) 
(fig. 537-540). 
Cells dorsoventrally compressed, 40-450 mu long. The apical horn is 
narrow and long, blunt at the" end with a pore and corona. Posterior horns 
number 2-3, are closed at the ends and usually pointed, straight or curved. 
The orbicular sulcus is almost circular, more thinly coiled slightly, on the 
left or right. The ventral sulcus is rather wide, overlaps the epivalve and 
reaches the base of the cell at the back, Plates are reticulate and have 
shorter or longer spines at the crossing points. The numerous chromatophores 
are spherical, plate-like, yellow or yellow-tawny. A large oval nucleus is 
situated near to the ventral sulcus. Round, brownish-red bodies are found 
in the protoplasm, and are particularly numerous towards the rear part of 
the cell. Cysts have 2-4 horns and thick, yellow or brown walls. 
Common in the plankton of lakes and ponds. The species is very 
variable, there are extensive works dating from the earliest years, particularly 
from Central Europe. For differentiation, the accepted system of Schroeder 
(1918) is based on the number of horns, width of cells, direction of the 
position of the apical and posterior horns. 
Huber-Pestalozzi gives the following key to the difference in types. 
A. Forms narrow, long or very long, with 3 horns, up to 45 but rarely 
55 mu wide. The apical part of cell narrow, conical and slender. 
1. Antapical horn situated in the same direction as the apical. 
Type furcoides (fig. 540a) 
2 
2. Anapical horn directed a little outwards. 
a) Width of cell 28-34 my, length 148-280 my. 
... Type silesiacum (fig 540b) 
b) Cell width 44-55 my, length 375-443 my, very slender form. 
... Type yuennanense (fig. 540c) 
3. Antapical horn directed centrally, comparatively short, sometimes 
almost parallel to the apical horn, cells often up to 50 my wide. 
... Type brachyceroides (fig. 540d) 
B. Shorter or longer forms under optimal conditions have 3 horns and are 
above 45 my wide, 115-170 my long. Both posterior horns are slightly 
parted. 
... Type carynthiacum (fig. 540e) 
C. Shorter or longer forms under optimal conditions have 4 horns and are 
above 45 my wide. The left horn can be short, thumb-like or long. The 
apical portion of the cell is shorter than in A, and caplike. 
1. Posterior horns do not deviate outwards, only slightly deviate, 
in general forms are slender. 
a) Antapical horn is situated in the direction of the apical horn, 
the posterior right horn being parallel to this, rarely weakly 
deviate. The dorsal side of the cell is not compressed, delicate 
reticulations. 
... Type gracile (fig. 540g) 
b) Posterior horns strongly deviate outwards, the complete cell 
is curved, large reticulations and usually irregular.. 
... Type robusturn (fig. 540h) 
2. On the average posterior horns deviate outwards, cell appears a 
little smaller, wider and very compact. The antapical horn is 
directed outwards. 
... Type austriacum (fig. 540f) 
3 
3. Posterior horns strongly deviate outwards. 
a) Antapical horn is short, and lies in the same direction as the 
apical. Hypovalve very short. 
... Type scotticum (fig. 540i) 
b) Antapical horn larger, deviates outwards, hypovalve a little 
larger. 
... Type piburgense (fig. 540j) 
Type furcoides Schroeder (non Ceratium hirundinella var. furcoides Levander) 
Relatively narrow cells, 30-45 my wide, 130-300 my long; apical and 
antapical horns in same direction. Pound in all seasons of the year. 
Type silesiacum Schroeder (= Ceratium hirundinella var. furcoides Levander; 
C. furcoides (Levander) Langhans). Appears slender, 28-34 my wide, 148-
280 my long. Posterior horns deviate a little. 
Type yuennanense (Skuja) Huber Pestalozzi (= Ceratium Handelii Skuja 1937). 
Appears 3-cornered with cells very long and narrow, 44-55 my wide and 
375-443 my long. 
Type brachyceroides Schroeder (non f. brachyceros Ostenfeld). 
Cells 3-cornered with antapical horn bending inwards, 30-45 my wide, 
130-145 my long. 
Type carinthiacum (Zederbaum) Bachm. 
Short appearance, with 3-4 horns, 45-60 my wide, 120-145 my long. 
Hypovalve always shorter than epivalve. 
Type gracile Bachmann. 
Posterior horns show minimal deviation outwards, cells 60-75 my wide, 
140-290-302 my long. 2 or 3 horns. 
Type robustum (Amberg) Bachmann. 
Cells irregularly reticulate, 45-55 my wide, 270-310 my long. 
Bend inwards towards the ventral side. 
4 
Type austriacum (Zederbaum) Bachmann. 
Cells 40-60-70 my wide, 120-160-235 my long, apical horn parallel to 
antapical, epivalve evenly conical. The most widespread type in Europe. 
Type scotticum Bachmann. 
Cells 50-60 my wide, 160-210 my long. Epivalve comparatively even. 
Described from Scottish lochs. 
Type piburgense (Zederbauer) Bachmann. 
Posterior horns deviate greatly, cells 50-60. my wide, 180-260 my long. 
Found in L. Tiburg in Tyrol. 
However, all the above types are connected by way of the precise difficulty 
of their designation. Seasonal changeability brings this about by way of the 
sizes and shapes of cells. Consequently, attempts to outline the differences 
between types by statistical methods did not give explicit results and have 
been abandoned. Besides, a series of anomalies in the development of cells 
has been reported. From specialized experiments, chiefly by Huber Pestalozzi 
and Nipkow, it arises that C. hirundinella is a warm water species, showing 
in summer a distinct cyclomorphosis, in autumn and winter it vanishes. 
Admittedly, in some years with mild winters it can be seen in the plankton, 
however maximum growth is always in summer. Established temperatures for 
growth are ; minimum 5 C - optimum 15-16 C - maximum 28-30 C. This range 
gives the species the possibility to have a widespread distribution. However 
it is not found in polar lakes. A characteristic is that Ceratium disappears 
when blue-green are numerous in the water (i.e. eutrophic lakes). 
Fig 537 — Ceratium hirundinella, arrangement of plates: 
d) hypovalve, ra- apical horn, k - corona, 
ac- additional horn, a n t - antipical horn, pos t -
x- upper plate of ventral sulcus, y - central plate of the ventral sulcus, 
z- lower plate of ventral sulcus, bb, ventral sulcus, bb- ventral sulcus, c1-c5- plates of 
orbital sulcus (Entz) 
Fig. 539 Ceratium hirundinella: a- ventral view, b- dorsal view, 
c- plate structure highly magnified (Schilling). 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Notice 
 
 
Please note that these translations were produced to assist the scientific staff of the 
FBA (Freshwater Biological Association) in their research. These translations were 
done by scientific staff with relevant language skills and not by professional 
translators. 
 
 
 


Ceratium hirundinella (O.F.Mull.) Bergh. 1882 [Translation from: Flora Slodkowodna Polski. Tom 4. Cryptophyceae, Dinophyceae, Raphidoiphyceae p395-400. Warsaw, Polska Academia Nauk, 1974]

http://aquaticcommons.org/4989/1/157_1974_star_cera.pdf

Ceratium hirundinella (O.F.Mull.) Bergh. 1882 [Translation from: Flora Slodkowodna Polski. Tom 4. Cryptophyceae, Dinophyceae, Raphidoiphyceae p395-400. Warsaw, Polska Academia Nauk, 1974]

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