Nannotax Enabling nannofossil research

Description: Coccospheres with Pontosphaera-like body coccoliths and equatorial coccoliths with rims elevated into vase-like structures (lopadoliths).

Remarks: In fossil assemblages, only lopadoliths are assigned to Scyphosphaera.
Numerous Neogene species have been described, often based on subtle variations in outline, but since the single modern species S. apsteinii shows considerable variation in lopadolith outline a broader species concept seems justified. Three main species are certainly separable; S. apsteinii, S. pulcherimma and S. globulata. The table below summarises the morphotypes and for each one possilbe synonyms re listed on the species page. See also Jafar (1975), Perch-Nielsen (1984) Aubry (1990) and Siesser (1998).

	apsteinii		pulcherrima
	globulata		tubifera
	intermedia		ventriosa
	lagena		cylindrica