Fottea, 2020 (vol. 20), issue 1
Original article
Mining salinisation of rivers: its impact on diatom (Bacillariophyta) assemblages
Małgorzata Bąk, Dariusz Halabowski, Adrian Kryk, Iga Lewin, Agnieszka Sowa
Fottea 2020, 20(1):1-16 | DOI: 10.5507/fot.2019.010 
The composition of the diatom assemblages was analysed in four rivers of Upper Silesia, Poland in 2017. The diatom assemblages studied were found to reflect anthropogenic salinization caused by mining activities. The assemblages in those rivers characterised by the highest salinity (Bolina and Mleczna) showed a relatively low taxonomic richness. The diatom assemblages were dominated by species typical of brackish or marine waters. The rivers with a minimal or weak anthropogenic impact (Centuria and Mitręga) supported taxonomically richer diatom assemblages typical of mid-altitude siliceous or calcareous streams (respectively), that have a fine particulate...
Evaluation of three preparation methods for living diatoms at a sandy river-mouth tidal flat: conventional acid-cleaning, nuclear staining, and sieving
Mariko Yamamoto, Taisuke Ohtsuka
Fottea 2020, 20(1):17-24 | DOI: 10.5507/fot.2019.013
Three preparation methods for the identification of diatom flora at a river mouth tidal flat were evaluated in terms of species richness, diversity, and composition using a conventional acid-cleaning method, a nuclear staining method, and a newly introduced sieving method. Twenty-five diatom samples were collected from Fujimae Tidal Flat sediments, Nagoya, Japan, in July 2014. Three methods respectively showed different aspects of the diatom flora. The acid-cleaning method indicated the highest species diversity, but it extracted dead diatoms with living ones indiscriminately. In comparison with the acid-cleaning method, the staining method effectively...
Valve ultrastructure of two species of the diatom genus Gomphonema Ehrenberg (Bacillariophyta) from Yunnan Province, China
Yan Liu, John Patrick Kociolek, Xinxin Lu, Yawen Fan
Fottea 2020, 20(1):25-35 | DOI: 10.5507/fot.2019.012
We describe valve ultrastructure of two species of the freshwater diatom genus Gomphonema from a stream and Lugu Lake in Yunnan Province, China, and describe one of these two species as new to Science. Gomphonema emines Skuja was described over 80 years ago. This large, multistigmate species has uniseriate striae without occlusions, large pseudosepta and septa, and internal stigma openings that are round, positioned within ellipsoidal depressions on the extended central nodule. In these features it is distinguished from most of the 'typical' species of the genus. Gomphonema yunnaniana Y.Liu et Kociolek sp. nov. has biseriate striae...
Nitzschia fenestralis: A new diatom species abundant in the Holocene sediments of an eastern African crater lake
David Grady, David G. Mann, Rosa Trobajo
Fottea 2020, 20(1):36-48 | DOI: 10.5507/fot.2019.011
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)...
Seminavis aegyptiaca sp. nov., a new amphoroid diatom species from estuary epilithon of the River-Nile Damietta Branch, Egypt
Abdullah A. Saber, Ehab F. El-Belely, Ahmed A. El-Refaey, Ahmed D. El-Gamal, Saúl Blanco, Marco Cantonati
Fottea 2020, 20(1):49-57 | DOI: 10.5507/fot.2019.015
During a recent floristic-taxonomic study on the algal flora, including diatoms, from the estuary of the Damietta Branch of the Nile in Egypt, an interesting epilithic diatom species belonging to the genus Seminavis (Naviculaceae) was collected and investigated using both light and scanning electron microscopy. This new diatom species shares morphologically some taxonomic diagnostic features with other related taxa such as S. insignis, S. robusta, and S. ventricosa. However, it still differs by having ventral central striae that are shorter and more or less straight in the middle of the smaller frustules to be clearly radiate...
Platebaikalia - a new monoraphid diatom genus from ancient Lake Baikal with comments on the genus Platessa
Maxim S. Kulikovskiy, Anton M. Glushchenko, Sergei I. Genkal, Irina V. Kuznetsova, John P. Kociolek
Fottea 2020, 20(1):58-67 | DOI: 10.5507/fot.2019.014
A new monoraphid diatom genus, Platebaikalia gen. nov., was described based on a detailed morphological investigation using light and scanning electron microscopy. Previously Platessa elegans Kulikovskiy et Lange-Bertalot was described from ancient Lake Baikal, and this species serves as the generitype for the newly-described genus. Platebaikalia elegans is a rare taxon found in the deeper parts of Lake Baikal. Platebaikalia elegans is characterized by having multiseriate striae on the raphe valves with biseriate striae on the rapheless valves, though in some specimens a short third row of areolae may be present in...
RNA consensus structures for inferring green algal phylogeny: A three-taxon analysis for Golenkinia/Jenufa, Sphaeropleales and Volvocales (Chlorophyta, Chlorophyceae)
Verena Czech, Matthias Wolf
Fottea 2020, 20(1):68-74 | DOI: 10.5507/fot.2019.016
Background and Aims: "Order please!" was a recently published, very nice and apt title for a persistent problem in green algae phylogenetics. The green algal class Chlorophyceae comprises two clades (SV and OCC) made up of five orders (Sphaeropleales, Volvocales, Oedogoniales, Chaetopeltidales and Chaetophorales). A variety of data and methods have shown that one further group (Golenkinia+Jenufa) cannot be unambiguously placed among the five orders. In addition, concerning Sphaeropleaceae and/or Treubarinia the monophyly of Sphaeropleales and Volvocales remain unresolved. Methods: IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry)...
Analysis and critical evaluation of structural features in four Cymbellaceae taxa from New Caledonia
René Le Cohu, Horst Lange-Bertalot, Bart Van de Viver, Loïc Tudesque
Fottea 2020, 20(1):75-85 | DOI: 10.5507/fot.2019.017
Delicatophycus costei (Lange-Bertalot et Moser) Wynne, Cymbella bourrellyi Maillard, Cymbella latarea Maillard and Cymbella pernodensis Maillard are endemic to New Caledonia and show uncommon morphological features compared to the "sensu stricto" definition of their respective genus. Delicatophycus costei was described based on light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations, confirming the generic LM diagnosis. However, the external view in SEM is atypical as both valve face and mantle are covered by longitudinal ribs, overlaying part of the zig-zag striae, generally accepted as the determinant...
Proposal of Purpurea gen. nov. (Nostocales, Cyanobacteria), a novel cyanobacterial genus from wet soil samples in Tibet, China
Fangfang Cai, Yilang Wang, Gongliang Yu, Jie Wang, Xin Peng, Renhui Li
Fottea 2020, 20(1):86-97 | DOI: 10.5507/fot.2019.018
A new cyanobacterial strain CHAB5880 morphologically identified to the Nostoc-like genus was isolated from wet soil samples in Tibet of China, and it was taxonomically and phylogenetically characterized based on the polyphasic approach combining morphological, genetic and ecological characteristics. Colonies of this strain were usually purple to black, irregularly clustering, forming diffluent mucilage. The phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene indicated that the novel strain formed a unique cluster, and separated from the 'Nostoc sensu stricto' clade and from the clades of the morphologically similar genera Aliinostoc, Desmonostoc...
Nagumoea serrata, a new diatom species (Bacillariophyceae) found on seagrass from the south-eastern coast of Africa (Indian Ocean)
Roksana Majewska, Bart Van de Vijver
Fottea 2020, 20(1):98-103 | DOI: 10.5507/fot.2019.019
A novel diatom species belonging to the genus Nagumoea is described based on detailed light and scanning electron microscopy observations. The new taxon was found abundantly in several samples collected from seagrass on the southernmost coasts of Mozambique, Southern Africa. While the new species shows characters (e.g. scalariform valvocopula, fibulae of complex shape and structure) consistent with the genus description, it differs distinctly from currently known members of Nagumoea. Differences include generally larger (7-29 µm) and more slender (1.0-1.5 µm) valves with acutely rounded apices and 4-5 areolae per stria, a doubly-perforated...
Point of view, Perspective, opinion and commentary
Quo vadis, taxonomy of cyanobacteria (2019)
Jiří Komárek
Fottea 2020, 20(1):104-110 | DOI: 10.5507/fot.2019.020
Motto: "I consider the human endeavour to discover new processes and regularities in nature, completed by requirement and satisfaction in logical arrangement of discovered facts into the objective and regular order, as a main stimulus of the noble evolution of the human society." - Albert Einstein. The problem of identification and evaluation of new described cyanobacterial taxa, particularly of the genera established after molecular sequencing, is discussed. Numerous new taxonomic units were defined according to molecular analyses in the last 20 years, but their later identification by biological community (particularly by ecologists) is often hardly...
Personalia
20 years of Fottea journal
The Czech Phycological Society
Fottea 2020, 20(1)
Publishing of the Fottea journal has been initiated by its editor Aloisie Poulíčková (Palacký University in Olomouc) in 2001. Its history is tied closely to the history of the Czech Phycological Society, which split from the Czech Botanical Society in 2002 following the leadership of Tomáš Kalina (Charles University in Prague). First six volumes (named Czech Phycology) were thus published as the Bulletin of the Phycological Section of the Czech Botanical Society (2001) and the Bulletin of the Czech Phycological Society (since 2002).In 2006, the general meeting of the Czech Phycological Society supported a proposal by the editor to make changes...