p. 44The taxonomy of Fragilaria construens var. subsalina and two morphologically related new taxaS

Blanco Lanza, Saúl

Cejudo Figueiras, Cristina

Ector, Luc

Hoffmann, Lucien

Morales Luizaga, Eduardo Antonio

Wetze, C.

English

Leon University (Spain)

Diatomededelingen 33, 2009The taxonomy of Fragilaria construens var. subsalina and two morphologicallyrelated new taxaCejudo-Figueiras, C.1'2, Morales, E.A.3'4'5, Wetze, C.1,2,6, Blanco, S.1'2, Hoffmann, L.2, Ector, L.2'Area de Ecologfa, Universidad de Leon, E-24071 Leon, Spain; e-mail: ccejf@unileon.es"Department of Environment and Agro-biotechnologies, Public Research Centre - Gabriel Lippmann,41, rue du Brill, L-4422 Belvaux, Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg'Hcrbario Criptogamico, Universidad Catolica Boliviana San Pablo, Av. Gral. Galindo No. 5381,Cochabamba, Bolivia4Patrick Center for Environmental Research, The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA19103, USA5Unidad de Limnologia y Recursos Acuaticos, Universidad Mayor de San Simon, P.O. Box 992,Cochabamba, Bolivia6Instituto de Botanica, Segao de Ecologia, Av. Miguel Stefano 3687, CEP 04301-012, Sao Paulo, SP,BrazilFragilaria construens var. subsalina is a common diatom found in a wide variety of aquaticsystems throughout the world. This taxon was described by Hustedt from brackish waters fromOldesloe, Germany, presenting four drawings and in 1987 Simonsen lectotypified this taxon presentingsome light microscopy photographs. In the present study we analyze the ultraestructure of severalspecimens from Hustedt’s type material by means of light microscopy (LM) and scanning electronmicroscopy (SEM) images, showing that this taxon should be better placed in the genusPseudostaurosira as P. subsalina and not as a variety of F. construens. This combination was yetprovided by Morales in 2005 on the basis of LM images from a North American population found inwaters with low electrolyte content, though a reexamination of this material using SEM proved to be anew species. We also describe another closely related taxon from Spain found in waters with moderateconductivity, that could also have been frequently confused with P. subsalina. Geometricmorphometry analysis of the valve shape corroborate the morphological disjunction between thesespecies. This study clarifies the taxonomy, ecology and systematic position of these three related taxaproviding a basis to improve water quality assessments based on diatom indices.44

The taxonomy of Fragilaria construens var. subsalina and two morphologically related new taxa

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Leon University (Spain)