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Alegret, Ortiz & Kaminski (eds.), 2012. Ninth International Workshop on Agglutinated Foraminifera, Abstract Volume
The life cycle of Entzia (Foraminifera) in the salt marsh at Turda, Romania
Andreea TELESPAN 1 , Michael A. KAMINSKI 2 , Ramona BALC 1 , Sorin FILIPESCU 3
and Ildiko VARGA 1
1 Babeş-Bolyai University, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, 30 Fântânele Street, 400294 Cluj-
Napoca, Romania.
2 Earth Sciences Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahram, 31261, Saudi
Arabia.
3 Babeş-Bolyai University, Department of Geology, 1 Mihail Kogălniceanu Street, 400084 Cluj-
Napoca, Romania.
e-mail: telespan.andreea@yahoo.com
The study is focused on the modern agglutinated foraminifera living in a small salt marsh, in
Turda, Romania. This marsh owes its presence to the Miocene deposits from Transylvania
Basin, and is located less than a kilometer from the famous Maria Theresa Salt Mine. The
studied area is the only place so far in Romania, a living Entzia population has been found.
The future evolution of this Entzia population is endangered by human activity.
Earlier records of the Entzia tetrastomella were mentioned by Daday (1884) from a
locality in the city of Deva that no longer exists. The salt marsh in Deva is now beneath a
health clinic car park.
The samples for this study were collected monthly in order to follow the life cycle of the
Entzia population. This species can be found today among the roots of the halophyte plants, in
the uppermost centimeters of the mud. Two samples were collected at fixed time intervals for
the purpose of monitoring the Entzia population and measuring different parameters, such as
humidity, conductibility, salinity, pH, and temperature. The samples were stored for 24 hours
in 40% alcohol (Vodka) with Rose Bengal, in order to distinguish between dead and live
specimens. To document the entire life cycle of the species the following analyses have been
carried out: test size, dynamics of population, number of chambers, and ratio between live and
dead specimens.
Based on the obtained measurements (test size and number of chambers) the largest
specimens have been found in December–January and July-August when the asexual
reproduction took place; the smallest specimens appeared in March-May when sexual
reproduction can be presumed. This pattern is also sustained by the numbers of live and dead
specimens (in January and August).
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