Extant coccolithophores: rarish, deep-photic species.; coccosphere dimorphic with murolith body coccoliths (BCs) and flat disk-like exothecal coccoliths XCs)
Description: BCs - long elliptical (3-4 µm); wall flaring with corrugated top. Central area flat bottomed, laths show sharp edges in proximal view. Axial structure is an elevated longitudinal ridge, on proximal side this is formed from a couple of elongate laths.CFCs - without spines / not differentiated.
XCs - (sub-)circular (ca. 3.5 µm), flat, broad rim, narrow radial cycle, quadrate central plate formed of two elements; delicate and rarely seen.
Remarks:
Fossil record: sporadic fossil records, mainly in Pliocene and Pleistocene. The BCs are relatively large and the axial ridge is birefringent in xpl making this an easy to species to recognise in LM.