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[Richard A. Humber]

Yesterday, Linda Stathoplos inquired about the Ellobiopsidae:

        I'm processing a dataset of plankton samples from the Indian
        Ocean that has a taxon called Ellobiopsidae. I don't know
        what this is. Is it (possibly) a variant spelling of the
        Gastropod family Ellobiidae? Any clues would be greatly
        appreciated. (None of my general books on plankton taxa have
        any clues.)


I believe that you will find the Ellobiopsidae to be a family of unarmored
dinoflagellates.

Even though I am a mycologist by training and inclination, I have always thought
that dinoflagellates are among the strangest and neatest organisms going.
It is always nice to have the chance to urge anybody to raise their
awareness of them!

                                        Richard A. Humber
                                        USDA-ARS Plant, Soil & Nutrition Lab.
                                        Tower Road
                                        Ithaca, NY 14853-2901

                                                phone: 607-255-1276
                                                  fax: 607-255-2459
                                                email: rah3 at cornell.edu