The Biology of Mallomonas. Morphology, Taxonomy and Ecology. 1991. (Developments in Hydrobiology, 63). figs. tabs. X,230 p. Lex8vo. Hard cover.

Mallomonas is one of the most important genera in the plankton offreshwater lakes. Not only is the genus prominent in contemporary floras, but its silicious scales and bristles often form a significantcomponent of the microfossil floras within lake sediments. As a result,Mallomonas has become a valuable paleoindicator for the documentation ofhistorical lakewater conditions. The taxonomy, morphology and ecologyof the genus form the heart of this text. Taxonomic identificationswithin the genus are based on the structure of the silicious armour. Todate, most of the literature has focused on the use of transmissionelectron microscopy for identification purposes. This volume provides acompendium of descriptions and high quality scanning electronmicrographs for over 60 taxa. The volume also provides the firstcomprehensive work detailing the comparative morphology of cells,scales and bristles and ecological requirements at the specific andsubspecific levels.