This publication presents the first summary of our knowledge of benthic dinoflagellate species.

Dinoflagellates are important primary producers and symbionts, but, at the same time, also consumers and parasites. Species compositions of benthic habitats are quite distinct from those of planktonic habitats. Less than 10% of the approximately 2000 described extant dinoflagellate species appear to be benthic. They occur in different types of habitats (chapter II) and their morphology, their behavior, and some of their life cycles (chapter VI) seem to be well adapted to the benthic lifestyle. Information on their geographic distribution is still very limited and is compiled herein (chapter V).

The study of harmful benthic dinoflagellates started in the late 1970s when it was suspected that a benthic species, later named Gambierdiscus toxicus, was responsible for ciguatera fish poisoning, a type of human poisoning linked to the consumption of certain species of tropical reef fish. As the number of ciguatera fish poisoning incidents increases, and the distribution of toxin producing benthic taxa seems to be expanding, detailed understanding of the species diversity and the ability to accurately identify them is becoming increasingly important (chapter VII). Dinoflagellate classification is currently undergoing changes and far from being settled, as new species and genera are discovered and systematic entities are rearranged. Many benthic dinoflagellate genera have unusual morphologies and appear to be only remotely related to known planktonic taxa, so that molecular phylogenetic analyses frequently show little statistical support for any relationship (chapter IV).
Benthic species display unique thecal plate arrangements compared to planktonic species, e.g. Adenoides, Amphidiniella, Cabra, Planodinium, Sabulodinium, Rhinodinium (chapter III). Therefore, no classification on higher rank levels (e.g. family, order) was used throughout this book. Genera (and species within a genus) are presented in alphabetical order.

The book presents the first comprehensive identification help for benthic dinoflagellates. At the same time it aims to lend support in order to improve monitoring efforts worldwide. About 190 species in 45 genera are presented in detail, illustrated with more than 200 color images, approximately 150 scanning electron micrographs, and more than 250 drawings.

　赤潮の原因種をはじめとして渦鞭毛藻の多くはプランクトン性である。では，「底生性渦鞭毛藻」と聞いて，どのような姿を思い浮かべるだろうか？彼らの生息地は海底・砂浜・タイドプール，海藻やサンゴの表層と様々である。それぞれの環境に適応してきた底生性渦鞭毛藻はプランクトン性種と比較してその形態のみならず，生理的・生態的にもユニークなものが多い。シガテラ毒の原因として有名なGambierdiscusは大きな円盤状の細胞をもち，海藻に着生したり付近を泳ぎ回ったりする。一方，砂地に住む渦鞭毛藻には柄やヘルメット状の細胞壁を作って基質に付着し，渦鞭毛藻らしからぬ形態で生活環の大半を泳がずに過ごすものがいる。Gambierdiscusの他にも底生種には有毒なものが多く含まれることから，その種同定やモニタリングの必要性など各方面から注目を浴び始めている。そんな底生性渦鞭毛藻を体系的にまとめた初の書籍となる ‘Marine benthic dinoflagellates - unveiling their worldwide biodiversity’が出版された。

　本書は全7章により構成される。I章のイントロダクションでは底生性渦鞭毛藻を対象とした研究の歴史と本書の趣旨等が示され，II章の’材料と方法’では底生性渦鞭毛藻のために工夫を凝らした採集方法や実験のコツが写真入りで紹介されている。本書のメインとなるIII章では，底生性渦鞭毛藻45属約190種がカラー写真，電子顕微鏡画像（SEM・TEM），イラストレーションとともに記載されている。現在までに知られるほぼ全ての底生性渦鞭毛藻種をカバーする豊富な情報量でありながら，本書は明確な規則の下に整理されており非常に見やすい。例えば，本書では高次分類群は扱わず，各種は属名からアルファベット順に並べられている。渦鞭毛藻では特に科レベル以上の分類体系について見解が分かれる場合があるので，このシンプルな示し方がかえって目的の種を探しやすくしている。また，全ての種に対して原記載・シノニム・サイズ・鎧板配列・葉緑体・分布・参考文献等々の項目が与えられ，類似種との識別点や未解決の分類学的問題についても簡潔に言及されている。これにより，本書を引けば原記載から出版直前（2013年）までの知りたい種に関する情報を容易に得ることができる。また，カラフルで美しい光学顕微鏡像（200枚以上）や，迫力のある精緻な電子顕微鏡像（約150枚），注目すべき部分を効果的に示してくれるイラストレーション（250枚以上）がポイントを絞りながらもふんだんに使われており，底生性渦鞭毛藻のユニークな形態を純粋に楽しむことができる。

　続くIV～VII章は底生性渦鞭毛藻の系統・地理的分布・生態・毒性について著者らの豊富な知識を基に最新の研究成果を取り入れながら分かりやすく解説されており，関連分野に興味のある方には非常に有用なガイドとなるであろう。 　本書の大きな特徴は，もちろん底生性渦鞭毛藻をまとめた初めての本であるという点であるが，もう一つの大きな特徴は，本書がドイツ，オーストラリア，フランス，日本を拠点にした4人の底生性渦鞭毛藻の専門家によって執筆された点である。個々の研究者がコツコツと地域を巡って採集することによって研究されてきた底生性渦鞭毛藻であるが，著者ら国際チームによって実現した本書の視野は「unveiling their worldwide biodiversity」というタイトルに表されるように，全球規模に向けられている。特異な形態をもち系統関係も不明である種が多いため，もやもやと頭の中で全体像を整理しきれていなかった「底生性渦鞭毛藻」というグループの姿が，本書を読み終わった後でよりすっきりと認識できるようになったと思う。A5版で厚さ2 cm以下といった持ち歩きやすいコンパクトな本なのに，必要な情報が巧みに詰まっている（しかも本書の内容を考えると，この値段は安価である！）。本書は有毒渦鞭毛藻研究者のみならず，分類学者，生態学者など広い範囲の読者に有益な情報を提供し，今後の研究の発展の強力な拠り所となるだろう。このような重要な本が新たに出版され，手に取ることが出来たことに感謝したい。 （神戸大学自然科学系先端融合研究環　山口愛果）

Japanese Journal of Phycology (Sorui) 62, November 10, 2014

Es ist ein Novum, was die Senckenberg-Meeresbiologin Dr. Mona Hoppenrath und ihre drei internationalen Kollegen auf den Weg gebracht haben: das weltweit erste Bestimmungsbuch für marine benthisch lebende Dinoflagellaten.

Was sind Dinoflagellaten? Mikroskopisch kleine Einzeller, die in Salz- und Süßgewässern rund um den Globus leben und mit sehr vielfältigen Eigenschaften aufwarten: Sie lassen Wellen leuchten, spielen eine zentrale Rolle in aquatischen Nahrungsnetzen und produzieren Gifte, die dem Menschen gefährlich werden können. Planktonische, also im Wasser schwebende Vertreter sind bereits relativ gut erforscht, doch mit benthischen, also im und am Meeresboden lebenden Dinoflagellaten hat sich bislang kaum jemand beschäftigt. Die Autoren des Buches zählen zu den wenigen Experten für diese Organismen. Mehr als ein Drittel der bisher bekannten benthischen Arten wurde von ihnen beschrieben, darunter einige, die dem Menschen gefährlich werden können: indem sie die mitunter tödlich verlaufende Fischvergiftung namens Ciguatera verursachen. Hervorgerufen wird die Krankheit durch den Verzehr von Fischen, die mit Cigua- und Maitotoxinen belastet sind und die wiederum von Dinoflagellaten produziert werden.

"Marine benthic dinoflagellates" beschränkt sich nicht allein auf diese etwa 30 toxischen Arten. Im Hauptkapitel „Taxonomy“ listen die Autoren insgesamt 189 Arten in 45 Gattungen auf, beschreiben und illustrieren die winzigen Einzeller mit mehr als 200 farbigen Abbildungen, 150 Rasterelektronenmikroskop-Aufnahmen und 250 Zeichnungen. Weitere Kapitel widmen sie ihrer Morphologie, den Lebensräumen, der geographischen Verbreitung und Ökologie. Ein umfangreiches Literaturverzeichnis vervollständigt das informative und anschauliche Werk.

SENCKENBERG – natur • forschung • museum 145 (1/2) 2015

This book is a gem. A book devoted to the marine benthic dinoflagellates of the world has not to my knowledge been attempted before, and benthic dinoflagellates are here defined to include all species associated with the sea bottom, both those living on/in the sediment and those attached to or growing on other algae, coral, etc. The four authors, from three continents, are some of the leading experts in this field, and the results of their efforts do not disappoint.

The main part of the book deals with the individual organisms; a total of 189 species in 45 genera are described (according to the authors, I did not count), typically with high-quality light micrographs, often supplemented by scanning micrographs of equally high quality. This part of the books takes up 170 pages, on average a little less than one page per species. Each species is described in some detail, with reference to the original description, how it differs from similar species, biogeography, toxicity and selected references. Identification keys are not included, but larger, difficult genera such as Gambierdiscus and Prorocentrum are illustrated with line drawings, all species printed next to each other to facilitate comparison and identification. The publisher and editor must be congratulated for the expert way in which the illustrations are presented and reproduced. White lines are present between each micrograph (in contrast to what has recently become common in some journals), providing a very professional impression, and the many colour micrographs are probably as beautiful as the originals.

Although the description of the species occupies the majority of the book, six smaller chapters deal with other aspects. Two initial chapters titled Introduction include colourful drawings, explaining and showing amphiesmal plate terminology as presently used, etc., followed by Material and Methods. The latter is useful as it provides information about habitats, sampling, separation of cells from the substrate, fixation for electron microscopy, culturing (very short) and quantification. Four additional chapters deal with phylogeny and systematics, biogeography, ecology, and toxicity. The phylogeny is an up-to-date report of present ideas on dinoflagellate phylogeny, with special reference to the benthic species. The authors pay particular attention to the coccoid species, which are discussed in detail and which the authors, after a lengthy discussion conclude should not be included in a separate order, Phytodiniales. The authors even recommend that this order name should be scrapped altogether. Although the reviewer agrees that the taxon is of little relevance for marine species, he considers it useful for coccoid freshwater species, at least until more information is available, after which it will become clear whether Phytodiniales can be maintained for Phytodinium and related genera, or whether most or all the coccoid freshwater species will be subsumed into the Suessiales.

The chapter on biogeography is very short, as would be expected considering that in many countries benthic dinoflagellates have received very little attention, and conclusions about biogeography must therefore remain scant. The chapter on toxicity, however, is complete and detailed, with very useful tables.

The book concludes with 32 pages of references and an index, reference to useful web pages and a short presentation of the authors. Proofreading of the manuscript has been careful, and I noticed only very few typos. The authors carefully explain the meaning of the generic names. May I suggest that in the next edition of the book the authors do likewise with species names? Was this forgotten?

Almost unbelievably, the price of this beautiful and useful book is only E20. By keeping the price so modest, the Seckenberg Forschungsinstitut in Frankfurt contributes significantly to its distribution worldwide, and thus to the dissemination of knowledge of benthic dinoflagellates. We phycologists can only be thankful for the authors’ and Senckenberg’s combined efforts.

Øjvind Moestrup, Marine Biological Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen/Denmark

Phycologia volume 54 (1), February 2015, page 87-88

I can well remember my delight and bewilderment some 30 years ago when I first looked at interstitial water from a sandy shore. A fascinating world of (to my eyes) bizar-rely shaped and highly active organisms was revealed, none of which I was familiar with, despite having studied planktonic dinoflagellates for some time. A painful assembly of literature from diverse and obscure journals followed to approach some understanding of this fascinating community. So this book is an extremely welcome first guide to the marine benthic dinoflagellates, bringing together the expertise of four authors from around the world who have worked extensively on this group of diverse and special organisms.

The book starts with a short introduction (including diagrams covering major terms), followed by a methods section. The methods section is helpful and covers field techniques, microscopy and molecular approaches with plenty of references for follow up as required. The substantial taxonomic section covers 189 species from 45 genera. These are dealt with in alphabetical order by genera (then species) due to uncertainties in higher classification of the dinoflagellates, which are particularly trying for these organisms of such atypical plate patterns and poorly understood taxonomic status. Unfortunately, there is no key or even a summary diagram/signposting to take readers to genera they might be looking for and so this might reduce the accessibility of descriptions to readers unfamiliar with dinoflagellates. However, leafing through the book should suffice, as the layout for each species is clear and the generous illustrations include light micrographs (with lavish use of colour), scanning micrographs and plate diagrams as well as drawings from the historical literature. I appreciated the clarity of the written descriptions as well as the explanations as to taxonomic choices made, uncertainties remaining and the effort to point to distinguishing features of species of similar appearance. As one who likes to grapple with the living organisms, I did appreciate the occasional description of the swimming behaviour of cells as this can be really helpful in diagnosis at low magnifications on the light microscope. Information on geographic distribution (as presently known) is also included. The illustrations are undoubtedly a highlight of this section and so it is with disappointment I have to note the lack of any light or electron micrographs for Amphidiniopsis, an important genus on shores I have studied.

The book is rounded out by chapters on phylogeny and systematics, biogeography, ecology, and toxins and benthic harmful algal blooms.

These completing chapters endeavour to bring together the current status of knowledge within each topic for the benthic dinoflagellates. However, because of the paucity of studies of the group (particularly with regard to biogeography and ecology) and the difficulties of comparability in quantitative data for the group, there is little of conclusion to be drawn at this time. The chapter on phylogeny and systematics was an interesting read and the authors point to the idea that these organisms might hold key insights to the phylogeny of the dinoflagellates in general. The chapter on toxins and benthic harmful algal blooms was a helpful update on this important and burgeoning field. In conclusion, this book is a must for any taxonomist of dinoflagellates. It is also a beautiful book—the light micrographs are a magnificent gallery of the diversity of these wonderful organisms. It is also excellent value for money at just under 20 Euros. It has certainly provided me with the courage to return to the study of these enigmatic benthic organisms with the hope that we may receive important insights into dinoflagellate biology more widely.

Jane Lewis
Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Westminster, 115 New Cavendish Street, London W1W 6UW, United Kingdom

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) have been a longstanding issue in the coastal waters of the Korean Peninsula. Many HAB species include planktonic dinoflagellates, which have been well studied to date. This monograph regarding benthic dinoflagellates unveils the ubiquitous distribution of marine benthic dinoflagellates along most of the world’s coastlines. The worldwide biodiversity of benthic dinoflagellates had been underestimated prior to the publication of this book.

We began our benthic research several years ago by isolating benthic dinoflagellates from beaches and macroalgal surfaces. The species observed included harmful species such as Gambierdiscus spp., which is known to result in ciguatera fish poisoning in tropical seas. This treatise is a useful resource for Korean researchers that need to identify and classify HAB species.

Upon having read this book, I realized it would serve as a bible to help increase the accuracy and power of identification of Korean benthic dinoflagellates. The description of this book is both very precise and easy to understand, providing a comprehensive overview of benthic dinoflagellates and their survival strategies in benthic environments. Dinoflagellate diversity is very high, both in the sand and on macroalgal surfaces.

Chapter II, the materials and methods, provides a full information of techniques for sampling, isolating, culturing, and identifying dinoflagellates. Habitat information is very useful for the proper selection of sampling sites, locations where researchers can collect species with consideration for correctly isolating specimens from substrates, as well as how to culture them for further studies. The isolation of benthic species differs notably from that of planktonic species, in that the species can be separated from the sand by extraction with melting seawater ice through a fine filter.

Chapter III provides a taxonomical list as well as a description of all species in alphabetical order, including aspects crucial to identification, such as species type, plate tabulations, descriptions, synonyms, remarks, distribution, references, transmission electron and scanning electron micrographs, and drawings of the plates of each species. In addition to the name of each species, the etymology of each name provides the meaning of each species as originally published by the authors. The phylogeny and systematics of Chapter IV introduces evolutionary relationships, resulting from molecular sequencing, which could reveal novel fundamental evolutionary relationships. This chapter introduces a cutting-edge technique to resolve genetic differences down to the genus and species levels using molecular biomarkers. Although the ‘dinotom’, a dinoflagellate with a symbiotic diatom inside, is well described in ecology and taxonomy, there are a large number of unknown species in unexplored habitats such as the sediments of the deep sea, as well as inside host cells.

This book not only guides us to deepen our knowledge of well-described species but also aims to elucidate our knowledge of those that are poorly understood. Although the biogeographical information in Chapter V is limited owing to the fact that knowledge of the geographical distribution of some species is limited, it aptly explains the expansion of the ranges of some species as a result of global changes in climate. Based on similarities in distribution patterns, benthic dinoflagellates are divided into four groups–arctic, temperate, subtropical, and tropical species.

Chapter VI characterizes dinoflagellates based on a variety of growth habits and habitat preferences, such as the interstitial spaces of marine sediments (i.e., sand-dwelling), epiphytic growth on the surfaces of macroalgae and seagrass (i.e., phycophilic), growth in tidal pool, and growth on floating detritus and corals, and thoroughly describes the characteristics of the species in the various habitats. The species are grouped in terms of attachment, vertical migration, bloom, spatial distribution, and temporal distribution, all with sufficient examples. Chapter VII explores the toxicity of species responsible for benthic harmful algal blooms (BHABs). One such species, Gambierdiscus spp., the dinoflagellate responsible for ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP), is thoroughly explained. This toxic species and others are listed 326in a table along with toxin name, strain name, studies of toxicity, and references. This information is very useful for research involving HABs.

The size of this book–more akin to a field guide than a traditional, sizeable monographis light, portable, and no larger than a novel. Despite its small size, this compendium of information about benthic dinoflagellates provides a wealth of information and is very convenient for use under any working condition as well as in the field.
In summary, the book is well edited and will be valuable to researchers as well as easily accessible to the interested layperson.

November 6, 2015
Joon-Baek Lee (Algae 2015, 30(4): 325-326)

Dinoflagellate biology is based almost entirely on planktonic species, with knowledge about benthic (bottom-dwelling) species mostly having remained at the level of often incomplete or contradictory taxonomic descriptions scattered piecemeal among science journals on algae and protozoa. This excellent book, written by four renowned experts in the field, is the first comprehensive treatise on marine benthic dinoflagellate species, toward presenting their global biodiversity. These fascinating, cryptic organisms thrive among sandy sediments or colonize macroalgae, rocks, seagrasses, or animals— habitats that are much more challenging to sample, even qualitatively, than the water column.
The first of seven chapters provides a concise history of the study of benthic dinoflagellates and explains the constantly shifting status of dinoflagellate classification across phycology and protozoology. It sets up the species descriptions by explaining the basic features used to describe dinoflagellate morphospecies in various views, illustrated by clear color drawings. The second chapter, Materials and Methods, was obviously written by experienced collectors of these organisms and offers especially valuable insights about sampling and separating live cells from their substrata. Chapter 3, the largest, describes 45 genera (as well as four other species groups with uncertain genus status) and more than 180 species (the authors counted 189 and evidently included varieties; my count differed slightly). The species descriptions include synonyms, explanation about uncertainties in naming and identification of further needs in taxonomic research, known geographic distribution, and general habitat. The authors use a wealth of mostly their own detailed, clear drawings, beautiful light micrographs, and high-quality scanning electron micrographs to assist readers in visualizing nearly all of the species. Details about the presence/absence of chloroplasts, kleptochloroplasts, and feeding organelles enable inferences about the nutritional mode of each species, ranging from phototrophy to mixotrophy and heterotrophy.
The remaining four chapters cover the present status of dinoflagellate phylogeny and systematics with emphasis on benthic species, and the biogeography, ecology, and toxicity of benthic species. The biogeographic information understandably is the least complete, as many benthic dinoflagellate species have been studied from only one or a few locations. The ecological information is also fairly sparse, especially for the benthic heterotrophs. Remarkably, the authors note that only one heterotrophic species has been successfully cultured thus far. Hoppenrath et al. mention that some taxa grow more easily in culture “when in company with other cells” that, although the reality, may confound species-specific interpretations about aspects such as nutritional requirements. I was surprised to learn that thus far, about two-thirds of the described benthic species are phototrophs or mixotrophs. Consideration of this information, together with the accepted generalization that about half of the known dinoflagellate species are photosynthetic and half are heterotrophic, suggests that many more heterotrophic species, in particular, remain to be found. The last chapter, on toxicity, provides a valuable overview with excellent summary tables and offers important insights about benthic harmful algal blooms.
The book is well referenced, and includes a taxonomic index with names highlighted in red for toxigenic species. Also included is a list of helpful websites and a brief introduction to each author. Overall, this valuable, beautiful volume should be on every dinoflagellate biologist’s shelf.

JoAnn Burkholder, Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina

THE QUARTERLY REVIEW OF BIOLOGY Volume 91 No. 4

Dinophyten (umgangssprachlich auch Dinoflagellaten) sind einzellige Organismen, die in vielfältiger Hinsicht eine bedeutende Rolle für die aquatischen Ökosysteme dieser Erde spielen. Sie haben im Laufe der Evolution eine eindrucksvolle Formenmannigfaltigkeit hervorgebracht, die den meisten Menschen bislang nicht erschlossen ist. Das vorliegende Buch hat das große Potenzial, an dieser bedauerlichen Tatsache etwas zu ändern, und wendet sich anWissenschaftler und interessierte Laien gleichermaßen. Die vierAutoren sind herausragende Dinophyten- Experten, die ihr Forschungsgebiet in den vergangenen Jahren nicht nur mit großer Leidenschaft weit voran gebracht haben, sondern dieses auch allgemein verständlich und äußerst ansprechend für eine breite Leserschaft darstellen können. Sie legen somit eine beeindruckende Darstellung über benthische Dinophyten aus allen Klimazonen vor, von denen laut Grußwort etwa ein Drittel der Arten mit mindestens einem derAutoren als Erstbeschreiber assoziiert ist.
Kern des Buches ist ein Nachschlagewerk zur Vielfalt der nahezu 200 im Benthos vorkommenden Dinophyten-Arten (soweit sie derzeit überhaupt bekannt sind). Erstaunlicherweise ist dieses Habitat im Rahmen der modernen Erfassung von Biodiversität für dieseAlgengruppe bislang wenig berücksichtigt worden, obwohl es doch ‚vor der Haustür liegt‘. Die wissenschaftliche Qualität des Buches ist auf höchstem Niveau angesiedelt, wobei vor allem die Außergewöhnlichkeit der licht- und elektronenmikroskopischen Abbildungen hervorzuheben ist. In der Biologie erklären Bilder oftmals mehr als tausend Worte, zumindest lassen sie uns aber über die beeindruckende Vielfalt der Natur staunen. Dieser visuelle Augenschmaus umfasst mehr als 200 farbige Abbildungen, 150 rasterelektronenmikroskopischen Aufnahmen und 250 Zeichnungen und weckt hoffentlich bei vielen Lesern den Wunsch, tiefer in den Mikrokosmos der Dinophyten einzutauchen.
Die penibel ausgearbeiteten Literaturverweise zu allen Erstbeschreibungen ehrt die Arbeit auch früherer Forschergenerationen, wie es nur noch selten zu finden ist.Als (botanischer) Taxonom möchte ich kritisch anmerken, dass leider die Chance verpasst wurde, einheitliche Autorennamen nach Brummitt & Powell (1992, kontinuierlich aktualisiert im International Plant Name Index, www.ipni.org) für die Artnamen zu verwenden. Überzeugend stellen die Autoren aber dar, dass eine phylogenetische Klassifikation benthischer Dinophyten in Großgruppen derzeit nicht sinnvoll vorgenommen werden kann. Allerdings lassen die Autoren eine Stellungnahme vermissen, warum kein Schlüssel erstellt wurde (zumindest für die 45 behandelten Taxa auf Gattungs-Niveau), was einem wichtigen Anwendungsaspekt genügt hätte. Außerdem stellt sich die Frage, warum die mutmaßlich recht überschaubare Anzahl benthischer Dinophyten aus dem Süßwasser nicht auch für das Kompendium berücksichtigt wurde.
Die Darstellung der Arten benthischer Dinophyten wird eingerahmt von allgemeinen Abhandlungen, die unbedingt lesenswert sind. Vor allem die Ausführungen zum Sammeln und Erforschen von Einzellern, wie es die Dinophyten sind, mögen auch den einen oder anderen Laien ermutigen, selbst einmal ins Feld zu gehen und entsprechende Beobachtungen zu machen. In jedem Fall erlaubt es den wichtigen Einblick, dass Biodiversitätserfassung für derartige Organismen ungemein aufwändiger ist als für makroskopische Pflanzen oder Tiere. Zu verschiedenen Anlässen nehmen die Autoren in kleinen, aber höchst informativen Exkursen dazu Stellung. Vor allem auch die Darstellung zur Entstehung von Merkmalen, die im Habitat des Benthos einen evolutiven Vorteil haben, ist hier hervorzuheben.
In der Gesamtbetrachtung ist das vorliegende Buch ein informatives Sammelwerk, in dem man gerne blättert und querliest und das hoffentlich einen großen Leserkreis findet. Persönlich bedauere ich, dass bei der kurzen Abhandlung zu Thoracosphaera die Agenda Calcareous Dinophtes (Elbrächter et al. 2008) nicht berücksichtigt wurde. Diese Petitesse täuscht aber nicht darüber hinweg, dass dieses Buch wegen seiner geradlinigen Konsistenz, der klaren Darstellung und Sprache, der anschaulichen Bebilderungen und nicht zuletzt wegen seines bestechenden Forschungsgegenstands unbedingt empfehlenswert ist.

M. Gottschling

Berichte der Bayerischen Botanischen Gesellschaft 85, 2015, S. 161-162