Documentos de Académico
Documentos de Profesional
Documentos de Cultura
By Cathy Kilroy
YES YES Centric diatoms
Very noticeable patterns in girdle and valve views
Part A
Aulacoseira
NO
Melosira Cyclotella
YES YES NO
Different pattern in the middle and edge of valve
NO
Valves circular, raphe or axial area never present
Cyclostephanos Tabellaria
YES
Meridion
YES
NO
NO YES
Costae present (internal projections on the valve face
NO YES
Diatoma Asterionella
YES
Pennate diatoms
NO
YES YES
NO YES
Striae very thick
NO on at least one
valve
Raphe present
NO
NO
Cells often form chains (most noticeable in live samples) Centrally expanded
CONTINUED in Part B
NO
NO
Part B
YES
CONTINUED Monoraphid diatoms
Cocconeis
YES
Achnanthidium Planothidium
NO
YES
Narrow axial area on the raphless valve often to one side Small narrow cells, striae denser towards the poles than at the centre
Achnanthes
NO
YES
Achnanthidium
NO
NO NO
Rossithidium
Actinella
NO
Raphes markedly different lengths on the two valves. Curved in girdle view. Septa at valve poles.
Eunotia
Valve shape and size very variable
Biraphid diatoms
NO
YES
NO
Rhoicosphenia
Raphes barely visible
Part C
Biraphid diatoms CONTINUED
YES
Stenopterobia
YES YES
Gap in costae at the valve centre. Raphe marginal
NO
Surirella
YES
Raphe slits not obvious (though a thick raphe canal may be visible)
Epithemia
Costae present (internal projections from the valve face, appearing as dark lines)
NO
NO
Raphe marginal, or nearly marginal, in a canal enclosed by struts (fibulae) dark dots in LM
Rhopalodia
NO
NB. Frustules appear bilaterally symmetrical because both valves are visible at the same time
YES
Nitzschia
Focusing through whole frustules will show the raphe along both sides
NO
Hantzschia
Part D
YES
Biraphid diatoms
Gyrosigma
YES YES
Striae very short ventrally
CONTINUED
S-shaped
Amphora
Raphes long on both valves, ends usually close together at the centre of the valve
NO
Valves clearly sigmoid
Eunophora
NOTE: closely related to Eunotia
YES
For whole frustules, in valve view, both valves are visible lying side by side
YES YES
Outer ends of raphe point downwards
Encyonema
NO NO
Valves asymmetrical bilaterally
NO YES
Cymbella
NO
Reimeria
Valves more or less elliptical, with a clear swollen area on one side
Encyonopsis Gomphoneis
YES
Valves very large, usually >100 mm long, triundulate
Didymosphenia
NO
NO CONTINUED in part E
Gomphonema
Part E
YES
Biraphid diatoms CONTINUED
Diatomella
YES
NO
Valves bilaterally symmetrical Septa present (internal projections from the girdle
Mastogloia
YES YES
Outer ends of raphe usually in an arrowhead shape. Striae very fine
Frustulia
NO
Raphe within a thickened band Ornamented valve edges. Central raphe endings often curve in opposite directions
NO YES
Diploneis Neidium
YES
NO
Pinnularia
NO
Striae very thick (many tiny puncta, not visible) A band of clear silica across the centre of the valve
YES
Areolae usually prominent in LM
Stauroneis
NO
YES
Brachysira
NO
YES
Sellaphora
NO
More biraphid naviculoid diatoms
NO
Part F
Biraphid diatoms
YES YES
Striae very regular, areolae often visible. In live material, a pair of lateral chloroplasts Choroplast an xshaped plate
Navicula
YES
Genus features hard to see in LM. ID to species will place in genus
CONTINUED
Placoneis
NO
NO NO
Valves very small, narrow, striae barely visible. Raphe straight, outer ends hooked on valve face
Striae fine, but usually visible, with wider spacing at the valve centre. Raphe curves to same side on valve face
YES
Adlafia
YES
Kobayasiella
YES
Diadesmis
YES
NO
Cavinula
NO
Valves often almost round, radial striae, YES outer raphe ends curved in opposite directions Central area oblong, one stigma (hole) to NO one side, large areolae
Luticola
YES
Geissleria
YES
SEM required to see characteristic areolae in some species
NO
Chamaepinnularia
NO
Many other small naviculoid genera have been described. Often SEM is required to verify their distinguishing features.
NO