Karreriella perforata n. sp. : a new Pliocene agglutinated benthic foraminifer with a perforated wall structure from the southern Bering Sea

Abstract

We describe a new agglutinated benthic foraminiferal species from the Pliocene of Hole U1341B drilled in the southern Bering Sea during IODP Expedition 323. The calcareous-cemented species Karreriella perforata n.sp. is coarsely canaliculated, with regularly-spaced straight, unbranched pores that are open to the test surface. This feature of the test wall is rare among agglutinated foraminifera, and is interpreted as a morphological adaptation to enable survival in the strongly hypoxic environment present in the deep Bering Sea.