Chaetoceros

Chaetoceros
Chaetoceros furcellatus
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Chromalveolata
Phylum: Heterokontophyta
Class: Bacillariophyceae
Order: Centrales
Suborder: Biddulphiineae
Family: Chaetocerotaceae
Genus: Chaetoceros
(Ehrenberg, 1844)
Species

See text.

Chaetoceros is probably the largest genus of marine planktonic diatoms with approximately 400 species described. Although a large number of these descriptions are no longer valid. It is often very difficult to distinguish between different Chaetoceros species.[1] Several attempts have been made to restructure this large genus into subgenera and this work is still in progress.[2][3] However, most of the effort to describe species have been focused in boreal areas, and the genus is cosmopolitan, so there are probably a large number of tropical species still undescribed.[4]

Description

The genus Chaetoceros were first described by Ehrenberg in 1844.
Cells are more or less rectangular in girdle view.
Cells are usually elliptical in valve view.
Opposite setae of adjacent cells touch near their origin.

Some currently accepted Chaetoceros species

References

  1. ↑ C.H. von Quillfeldt., (2001). Identification of Some Easily Confused Common Diatom Species in Arctic Spring Blooms. Botanica Marina Vol. 44: 375 - 389
  2. ↑ Tomas, C. R., Hasle G. R., Syvertsen, E. E., Steidinger, K. A., Tangen, K., Throndsen, J., Heimdal, B. R., (1997). Identifying Marine Phytoplankton, Academic Press.
  3. ↑ Rines J. E. B., Theriot E. C., (2003). Systematics of Chaetocerotaceae (Bacillariophyceae). I. A phylogenetic analysis of the family, Phycological research 51: 83-98.
  4. ↑ J.E.B. Rines, P. Boonruang and E.C. Theriot., (2000). Chaetoceros phuketensis sp. nov. (Bacillariophyceae): a new species from the Andaman Sea. Phycological Research 48 (3): 161-168.

External links