The correspondence between water temperature and coiling direction in Bulimina

The influence of temperature on the direction of coiling in the benthic foraminifera Bulimina marginata d'Orbigny and B. aculeata d'Orbigny is investigated by direct comparison of specimens and temperature data measured at or near the sites of collection. Nine samples from the Gulf of Mexico and 16 samples from the Gulf of Maine south to New Jersey are used. These areas include cold temperate and subtropical regions, the continental shelf, slope, and a semirestricted gulf. Complicating factors of life cycle stage and possible ontogenetic change are eliminated. Dextrality is strongly associated with warm temperatures, but cold temperatures do not produce predominantly sinistrally coiled individuals. This is the first demonstration of an unambiguous correlation between temperature and coiling direction in benthic foraminifera.