Nitzschia fenestralis: A new diatom species abundant in the Holocene sediments of an eastern African crater lake
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Publication date
2020-02-18ISSN
1802-5439
Abstract
Nitzschia is common in the phytoplankton of several East African lakes. A new species, Nitzschia fenestralis, sp. nov. D. Grady, D.G. Mann et Trobajo was encountered at numerous depths in a 16 m sediment core from Lake Babogaya, Ethiopia and is described using light and scanning electron microscopy. It is compared with several other morphologically similar taxa described from East and Central Africa (especially N. aequalis, N. mediocris, N. obsoleta and N. fabiennejansseniana), and from Europe (N. fruticosa). An unusual feature of some of these species (N. fenestralis, N. obsoleta and N. fabiennejansseniana) is that in the raphe canal each stria is represented by two narrower areolae (alternatively interpreted as a single subdivided areola). It is this feature that suggested the name of the new species (through the resemblance to a series of sash windows). Another characteristic of N. fenestralis and N. obsoleta, apparently never reported previously in any diatom, is that the more advalvar bands end approximately halfway along the frustules, rather than at the poles. In most respects (shape and size, stria and fibula densities, valve and girdle structure), N. fenestralis and N. obsoleta are very similar, but confusion is unlikely because they differ in whether central raphe endings are present (N. fenestralis) or absent (N. obsoleta). In Nitzschia fenestralis, and perhaps to a lesser extent in N. obsoleta, the striae usually become strongly radiate towards the poles. A preliminary assessment, based on the literature, suggests that N. fabiennejansseniana may be synonymous with N. obsoleta, which was described earlier.
Document Type
Article
Document version
Published version
Language
English
Subject (CDU)
574 - General ecology and biodiversity
Pages
13
Publisher
Czech Phycological Society
Is part of
Fottea
Citation
Grady, David, David G. Mann, and Rosa Trobajo. 2020. "Nitzschia Fenestralis: A New Diatom Species Abundant In The Holocene Sediments Of An Eastern African Crater Lake". Fottea 20 (1): 36-48. Palacky University Olomouc. doi:10.5507/fot.2019.011.
Program
Aigües Marines i Continentals
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- ARTICLES CIENTÍFICS [2635]
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