Testate Amoebas and Monothalamous Foraminifera (Protozoa) from the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast

Abstract

The studies on the marine interstitial testate amoebas are briefly reviewed. A characteristic of the marine supralittoral as a specific habitat is given. So far, 144 species of testate amoebas and 13 monothalamous foraminifera have been reported in the marine interstitial habitat of the World Ocean. A total of 47 interstitial testate amoebas have been reported in the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. Of these, 32 are psammobiotic, 11 are psammophilic, and 4 are psammoxenic. Eleven new genera and over 20 unknown species of psammobiotic marine interstitial testate amoebas and foraminifera have been described for the first time in the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. The morphological adaptations and some ecological preferences of the interstitial marine testate amoebas and foraminifera are discussed