THE MORPHOLOGY AND ECOLOGY OF AN ABUNDANT NEW KOMOKIACEAN MUDBALL (KOMOKIACEA, FORAMINIFERIDA) FROM THE BATHYAL AND ABYSSAL NE ATLANTIC

A new, widely distributed and abundant komokiacean mudball, Edgertonia floccula sp. nov., is described from bathyal to abyssal depths in the NE Atlantic, The test consists of an anastomosing network of agglutin ated chambers and tubules which contain stercomata and sparse amounts of protoplasm. This network is buried within a large inorganic mudball (typically between 2.0mm and 8.0mm diameter), The mass of this large inorganic structure reduces the proportion of organic matter, as measu red by the ash free dry weight, to 3.5% of the total dry weight, Fine transparent fibres, almost certainly secreted by the foraminifer, pene trate the mudball and often cover its surface. The mudballs are inhabi ted by a number of metazoan and foraminiferal associates which probabl y use E. floccula either as a refuge, or as a substrate elevated above the sediment surface, Edgertonia floccula is by far the most abundant macrofaunal organism found in IOSDL epibenthic sledge and box corer s amples from the NE Atlantic, It occurs in samples from 984m on the con tinental slope of the Porcupine Seabight to 6059m on the Madeira Abyss al Plain.