This dataset was collected during two oceanographic cruises in the Mediterranean Sea (Mediterranean Ocean Observing System on Environment Grande Echelle, MOOSE-GE 2017 and 2018) and from the Atlantic Ocean (Atlantic Meridional Transect, AMT28) cruise. Samples were collected with a 64 and 200 µm mesh size plankton nets, from 0 to 500 m in the Mediterranean cruises and from 0 to 200 m in the Atlanctic Ocean. Each sample contained from 1 to 50 individuals, depending on cell size and abundance of the target organisms in the sample (Nassellaria, Collodaria, Spumellaria, Protocystis and Aulacantha). Individual pictures were taken prior the experiments to obtain morphometric measurements using the ImageJ software.

Sampling sites (Leg-Station) of the MOOSE-GE cruises (see Table 1 for locations of the two samples from the Atlantic Ocean), ● sites sampled in 2017 and ▲ sites sampled in 2018.