MORPHOLOGY OF PROTOPERIDINIUM-COMPRESSUM (PERIDINIALES, DINOPHYCEAE) IN THE NORTH AEGEAN SEA, GREECE

Protoperidinium compressum is a rare marine dinoflagellate that we fou nd in the plankton of Thermaikos Bay (North Aegean Sea, Eastern Medite rranean). The morphological characters of the species in this habitat were studied and the differences found with former descriptions of the species by other authors in other habitats are discussed. A review of the literature records of both the motile stage and the cyst of the s pecies is attempted. Two theca form-types of undefined taxonomic impor tance are encountered in the literature for this species.