Crystallographic and morphological studies of the celestite skeleton of the acantharian species Phyllostaurus siculus

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Abstract
The crystallography and morphology of the celestite (SrSO$_{4}$) skeleton of the acantharian species Phyllostaurus siculus have been studied by electron microscopy, electron diffraction and optical microscopy. The skeleton is composed of 20 spicules, radiating from a central point, which are shown to be divided into three groups according to their morphology. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) has confirmed the single-crystal nature of each spicule. The spicules connect via lateral wing structures, the crystallographic orientations of which have been determined. The precise arrangement of the spicules has been established and is described in terms of the lateral wing attachments at the cell centre. The effects of crystallographical constraints, efficiency of spicule packing and biological control on spicule arrangement are discussed.

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