The life-cycle of the monothalamous foraminifer Heterotheca lobata, n. gen., n. sp.

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Abstract
Heterotheca lobata, n. gen., n. sp., a foraminiferan species of the suborder Allogromiina from the Great Barrier Reef, can be cultivated with different food organisms (Dunaliella, Chlorella, yeast). Its alternate generations exhibit extreme heteromorphy. The mononucleated gamonts reach a diameter of as much as 2,000 .mu.m. At the end of their growth period they have a lobate shape. Finally, they produce thousands of free-swimming gametes, each with two flagella of different length. Under conditions not known as yet, gametogenesis occurs at an earlier stage. The multinucleated agamonts deriving from the zygotes reach a diameter of 200-300 .mu.g. At the end of their growth period they have a globular appearance. They produce a variable number of gamonts by multiple fission.