Fottea, 2019 (vol. 19), issue 2
Original article
Phylogeny and characterization of Paraeustigmatos columelliferus, gen. et sp. nov., a member of the Eustigmatophyceae that may represent a basal group within the Eustigmatales
Marvin W. Fawley, Yvonne Němcová, Karen P. Fawley
Fottea 2019, 19(2):107-114 | DOI: 10.5507/fot.2019.002 
The new taxon, Paraeustigmatos columelliferus, was isolated from a mat of the filamentous alga Zygnema on the shore of Lake Monticello in Arkansas, USA. The results of the phylogenetic analysis of 18S rDNA and rbcL sequence data suggest that this alga is likely allied with the Eustigmatales; alternately, it may represent a new third linage of the class. Light and electron microscopy reveal cellular features similar to other members of the Eustigmatophyceae; however, the cell wall bears unusual structures that resemble the columellae of the walls of pollen grains.
Evaluating amplicon high-throughput sequencing data of microalgae living in melting snow: improvements and limitations
Stefanie Lutz, Lenka Procházková, Liane G. Benning, Linda Nedbalová, Daniel Remias
Fottea 2019, 19(2):115-131 | DOI: 10.5507/fot.2019.003
Melting snowfields are dominated by closely related green algae. Although microscopy-based classification are evaluable distinction tools, they can be challenging and may not reveal the diversity. High-throughput sequencing (HTS) allows for a comprehensive community evaluation but has been rarely used in such ecosystems. We found that assigning taxonomy to DNA sequences strongly depends on the quality of the reference databases. Furthermore, for an accurate identification, a combination of manual inspection of automated assignments, and oligotyping of the abundant 18S OTUs and ITS2 secondary structure analyses were needed. The use of one marker can...
Mallomonas minuscula sp. nov. (Synurales, Chrysophyceae), a new member in the section Torquatae from Vietnam
Evgeniy Gusev, Elena Guseva, Elena Kezlya, Maxim Kulikovskiy
Fottea 2019, 19(2):132-137 | DOI: 10.5507/fot.2019.004
Mallomonas minuscula sp. nov. is described from Vietnam based on silica-scale morphology studied by means of transmission and scanning electron microscopy. This species belongs to the Mallomonas mangofera complex and is characterized by small scales with large polygonal papillae on the shield, raised wide arms on the anterior submarginal rib with small papillae, and a small "window" in the angle of the posterior submarginal rib. Scales of Mallomonas minuscula were found in nine localities from six provinces of Central and Southern Vietnam. The distributions and habitat conditions of the new species are summarized.
Three new subaerial Achnanthidium (Bacillariophyta) species from a karst landform in the Guizhou Province, China
Qingmin You, Yue Cao, Pan Yu, J. P. Kociolek, Lixuan Zang, Bo Wu, R. Lowe, Quanxi Wang
Fottea 2019, 19(2):138-150 | DOI: 10.5507/fot.2019.005
Three new subaerial species of Achnanthidium are examined and described from a karst landform of central-south China based on light and scanning electron microscopy observations, and are compared with similar taxa worldwide. A. mediolanceolatum sp. nov. is elliptical-lanceolate, not linear-lanceolate as is more typical in this genus, as well as having a bow-tie shaped central area on the raphe valve and a large lanceolate axial area on the rapheless valve, features which together make it easy to distinguish this species from others. A. parvulum sp. nov. and A. guizhouensis sp. nov. are linear-elliptical in shape, which is...
Surirella wulingensis sp. nov. and fine structure of S. tientsinensis Skvortzov (Bacillariophyceae) from China
Bing Liu, Saúl Blanco, Luc Ector, Zhu-xiang Liu, Juan Ai
Fottea 2019, 19(2):151-162 | DOI: 10.5507/fot.2019.006
Two Surirella species from China are studied using light and scanning electron microscopy. Surirella wulingensis sp. nov., discovered from Li River (located in Wuling Mountains, China), bears five undulations from pole to pole throughout the whole valve diminution series and parallel valve margins, which differ from other similar taxa. Based on the observations of the fine structure, an amended description is provided for S. tientsinensis which possesses a unique character within the genus Surirella: rounded and rimmed outer openings of areolae. Three new morphological terms are proposed: costa-stria bundle (CSB), over-fibula...
First record of the rare freshwater alga Tetrasporopsis fuscescens (Chrysomerophyceae, Ochrophyta) in North America
Rosalina Stancheva, Pavel Škaloud, Martin Pusztai, Chad L. Loflen, Robert G. Sheath
Fottea 2019, 19(2):163-174 | DOI: 10.5507/fot.2019.007
This study presents the first record of the ochrophyte alga Tetrasporopsis fuscescens in North America, confirmed with light and transmission electron microscopic photomicrographs, cytochemical and molecular phylogenetic analyses. T. fuscescens was recorded rarely, being found in the benthos of only twelve stream sites: nine locations in Southern California and three in Northern California. More than half of the streams were non-perennial, characterized by long dry periods. Tetrasporopsis cells were gold-colored, spherical, with a distinct wall, assembled in the periphery of macroscopical gelatinous colonies, which start...
Nitzschia omanensis sp. nov., a new diatom species from the marine coast of Oman, characterized by valve morphology and molecular data
Ines Barkia, Chunlian Li, Nazamid Saari, Andrzej Witkowski
Fottea 2019, 19(2):175-184 | DOI: 10.5507/fot.2019.008
An unidentified diatom species belonging in the genus Nitzschia isolated from samples in the Omani coastal region of the Arabian Sea is the focus of the present study. This species has been successfully cultivated in the laboratory and DNA was harvested and sequenced. Light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) examination of the strain revealed some distinct features, of which the ultrastructure of canal raphe and the absence of central nodule are the most remarkable ones. In terms of morphology, the strain being studied resembles taxa belonging in Nitzschia sect. Lanceolatae. However, our phylogenetic tree based...
Morphological and molecular characterization of Stigonema jureiensis sp. nov. (Nostocales, Cyanobacteria) from the Atlantic Rainforest, São Paulo, Brazil
Guilherme S. Hentschke, Janaína Rigonato, Diego B. Genuário, Haywood D. Laughinghouse IV, Célia L. Sant'Anna
Fottea 2019, 19(2):185-191 | DOI: 10.5507/fot.2019.009
Tropical regions are considered hotspots of biodiversity, and the genus Stigonema has been underexplored in all world, mainly due to the difficulties of culturing. In this study, we sequenced the 16S rRNA gene of a natural Stigonema population from the tropical Atlantic Rainforest (São Paulo, Brazil) and describe S. jureiensis sp. nov. based on phylogenetic and morphological data. For the molecular analysis, the genomic DNA was isolated from aliquots of the population, which were previously manually cleaned under a microscope, using a point-tapered Pasteur pipette to remove other organisms and debris. For morphological analysis,...
Personalia
Prof. RNDr. František Hindák, DrSc. passed away on September 6th 2019 at the age of 82
The Czech Phycological Society
Fottea 2019, 19(2)
Prof. Hindák was member of the Czech Phycological Society and was a renown classical taxonomist and ecologist of cyanobacteria and algae. Fero was our mentor, colleague and friend with unmistakable sense of humor. We will miss František Hindák very much both for his scientific contributions and his friendship.