The cell is apple-shaped, with a single flagellum situated in the anterior part of the cell and mastigonemes emerging from a cavity. The cells are covered in two types of scale: ovoid cellulose scales of varying dimensions (0, 6-0, 8 x 0, 4-0, 5µm and 1, 5-2 x 1, 1-1, 3µm) and six scales with long delicate cellulose spines (9-13μm) visible under an optical microscope. Each spine scale is triangular; the proximal part is concave with a micro-ligament that binds one corner to the plasma membrane. The other two points of the triangular base appear to rest on the cell surface, i.e. on the ovoid scales. The cellular cytoplasm contains: 6 brown chloroplasts distributed along the perimeter, a nucleus in a central position, a mitochondrial grid in the anterior part of the cell, closely associated with the filaments of the cytoskeleton, and a single dictyosome in the posterior part of the cell.

Marine.

Distribution: as Apedinella spinifera: Europe: Britain (Parke & Dixon, 1976), Romania (Caraus, 2002).
As Apedinella radians: Europe: Denmark (Bowers et al., 2006); South America: Brazil (Bergesch et al., 2008); Australia and New Zealand: Tasmania (LeRoi & Hallegraeff, 2006).

The algae of Romania., Studii si Cercetari, Universitatea Bacau, Biologie 7, Caraus I., 2002, 1-694

Check-list of British marine algae - third revision., Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 56, Parke M., Dixon P.S., 1976, 527-594.

Raphidophyceae (Chadefaud ex Silva) systematics and rapid identification: sequence analyses and real-time PCR assays., Journal of Phycology 42:, Bowers, H.A., Tomas, C., Tengs, T., Kempton J.W., Lewitus A.J., Oldach D.W., 2006, 1333-1348

Scale-bearing nanoflagellates from Southern Tasmania coastal waters, Australia. II. Species of Chrysophyceae (Chrysophyta), Prymnesiophyceae (Haptophyta, excluding Chrysochromulina) and Prasinophyceae (Chlorophyta)., Botanica Marina 49(3):, LeRoi J.-M., Hallegraeff G.M., 2006, 216-235, 28 figs, 2 tables.

Nanoflagellates from coastal waters of southern Brazil (32ºS)., Botanica Marina 51(1):, Bergesch M., Odebrecht C., Moestrup Ø., 2008, 35-50