Fottea, 2020 (vol. 20), issue 2
Purpureonostoc, a new name for a recently described genus of Nostoc-like cyanobacteria
Fangfang Cai, Renhui Li
Fottea 2020, 20(2):111 | DOI: 10.5507/fot.2020.007 
A new cyanobacterial genus was recently named Purpurea, based on morphology, 16S rRNA gene sequence and 16-23S ITS secondary structure, which differentiated it from the other Nostoc-like genera (Cai et al. 2020). The designation "Purpurea" is invalid as it is contrary to Art. 20.2 (Art. 20.2. "The name of a genus may not coincide with a Latin technical term in use in morphology at the time of publication unless it was published before 1 January 1912."). As this new genus is similar to Nostoc, "Purpurea F. Cai et R. Li" nom. inval. is here renamed as Purpureonostoc.
Majewskaea gen. nov. (Bacillariophyta), a new marine benthic diatom genus from the Adriatic Sea
Bart Van de Vijver, Käthe Robert, Andrzej Witkowski, Suncica Bosak
Fottea 2020, 20(2):112-120 | DOI: 10.5507/fot.2020.001
During a survey of the diatom flora attached to carapaces of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) from the Adriatic Sea, a large population of an unknown marine achnanthoid species was observed that could not be assigned to any of the currently described monoraphid diatom genera. Detailed morphological analysis based on scanning electron microscopy observations and comparison with a large number of monoraphid genera such as Madinithidium, Scalariella, Kolbesia and Karayevia, resulted in the description of the new benthic marine genus Majewskaea gen. nov. with the newly described Majewskaea istriaca...
Three new Navicula (Bacillariophyta) species from an oligotrophic, deep lake, China
Yanling Li, Mengna Liao, Ditmar Metzeltin
Fottea 2020, 20(2):121-127 | DOI: 10.5507/fot.2020.002
Three new freshwater diatoms are described from China's Yunnan Plateau region in sediments from Lake Fuxian. Navicula australasiatica nov. sp., Navicula perangustissima nov. spec., and Navicula turriformis nov. spec. were identified from light and scanning electron micrographs. All new species are sufficiently different from other similar species based on valve outline, shape of the axial and center areas, and stria density. These three new species are all observed in surficial sediment from Lake Fuxian and compared to morphologically similar species from the genus Navicula.
A new freshwater Gomphonema Ehrenberg (Bacillariophyta) species from Eastern Himalayas, India
Cheran Radhakrishnan, Sudipta K. Das, Vikas Kumar, J. Patrick Kociolek, Balasubramanian Karthick
Fottea 2020, 20(2):128-136 | DOI: 10.5507/fot.2020.003
A new freshwater diatom species, Gomphonema adhikarii sp. nov., is described from a small road-side pool from the alpine region of Arunachal Pradesh, Eastern Himalayas, India. Detailed valve morphological features, based on both light and scanning electron microscopy, is presented and this taxon is compared with similar species. Gomphonema adhikarii has a distinct asymmetry about the apical axis and slightly bent foot pole area. The outline of the valve is slightly undulate, the valve centre is swollen and both apices are broadly rounded. This new species described from the Eastern Himalayas supports the idea of the area being...
Taxonomic studies of Cryptomonas lundii clade (Cryptophyta: Cryptophyceae) with description of a new species from Vietnam
Evgeniy Gusev, Yulia Podunay, Nikita Martynenko, Natalia Shkurina, Maxim Kulikovskiy
Fottea 2020, 20(2):137-143 | DOI: 10.5507/fot.2020.004
A new species from Vietnam, Cryptomonas vietnamica sp. nov., is described based on morphological and molecular data. Six strains from different habitats were analyzed. Cryptomonas vietnamica is characterized by large cells up to 54 µm long, 30 µm wide and 20 µm thick, flattened in dorso-ventral plane and often twisted. Phylogenetic relationships inferred from nuclear small and large subunit ribosomal DNA sequences show that the new species forms a clade with Cryptomonas lundii, a rare taxon, described from Europe. Cryptomonas lundii is reported for the first time from Russia and second time since its initial...
A new freshwater Psammodictyon species in the Taihu Basin, Jiangsu Province, China
Qi Yang, Tengteng Liu, Pan Yu, Junyi Zhang, J. Patrick Kociolek, Quanxi Wang, Qingmin You
Fottea 2020, 20(2):144-151 | DOI: 10.5507/fot.2020.005
We describe a new species of diatom, Psammodictyon taihuensis sp. nov., collected from the Taihu Basin, Jiangsu Province, China. There are several features of this diatom that suggest it should be included in the genus Psammodictyon, notably the possession of panduriform valves characterized by a longitudinal fold near the apical axis, coarsely areolate striae, and a keeled raphe system present on the valve margin. This species is distinct from others in the genus by its small size, being only 16.5-25.0 μm long and 10.0-12.5 μm wide in the central region, and with the widest valve being 10.5-13.5 μm in width. There are 8-11 distinct...
Johannesbaptistia floridana sp. nov. (Chroococcales, Cyanobacteria), a novel marine cyanobacterium from coastal South Florida (USA)
David E. Berthold, Forrest W. Lefler, Vera R. Werner, H. Dail Laughinghouse IV
Fottea 2020, 20(2):152-159 | DOI: 10.5507/fot.2020.008
Mat dwelling species of cyanobacteria are diverse and integral to coastal marine sediment systems. Though observed throughout the globe, much of this diversity remains undescribed, especially on South Florida coast where cyanobacteria are pronounced. To help elucidate this diversity, one species of cyanobacteria from the marine sediments of South Florida was studied. Typical morphological features including uniseriate pseudofilaments with facultative intercellular gaps and cell division in one plane, transversely to the longer cell axis, indicated that the species belonged to the genus Johannesbaptistia De Toni. The combination of 16S rRNA gene...
Two new Oculatella (Oculatellaceae, Cyanobacteria) species in soil crusts from tropical semi-arid uplands of México
Itzel Becerra-Absalón, Jeffrey R. Johansen, Karina Osorio-Santos, Gustavo Montejano
Fottea 2020, 20(2):160-170 | DOI: 10.5507/fot.2020.010
Two isolates of Oculatella from biological soil crusts in the arid and semi-arid tropical upland region of México were characterized using a polyphasic approach which included morphology, ecology, 16S rRNA and 16S-23S ITS phylogenetic analysis, percent identity of 16S rRNA gene sequence, percent dissimilarity of 16S-23S ITS sequence, and secondary structure of conserved ITS domains. The two species shared the generic synapomorphy of a reddish granule at the tip of mature apical cells, and possessed a single ribosomal operon with both tRNA genes (tRNAIle and tRNAAla) based upon our analysis and the analysis of the other...
Phylogeny and taxonomy of Synechococcus-like cyanobacteria
Jiøí Komárek, Jeffrey R. Johansen, Jan ©marda, Otakar Strunecký
Fottea 2020, 20(2):171-191 | DOI: 10.5507/fot.2020.006
Unicellular cyanobacteria constitute a substantial, ecologically important part of freshwater and marine microflora. Solitary, elongated cyanobacterial cells without apparent slime envelopes and dividing in a single plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis were traditionally classified into the genus Synechococcus. The type species originates from a freshwater benthic habitat while a number of other Synechococcus-like species were described from diverse environments. Morphologically similar, unicellular populations of "Synechococcus" belong to the most abundant oxygen evolving prokaryotes inhabiting freshwater and oceanic picoplanktic...
Preliminary molecular phylogeny of the diatom genus Nupela with the description of a new species and consideration of the interrelationships of taxa in the suborder Neidiineae D.G. Mann sensu E.J. Cox
Maxim S. Kulikovskiy, Yevhen I. Maltsev, Anton M. Glushchenko, Evgeniy S. Gusev, Dmitry A. Kapustin, Irina V. Kuznetsova, Larisa Frolova, John P. Kociolek
Fottea 2020, 20(2):192-204 | DOI: 10.5507/fot.2020.009
Molecular investigation of genera Nupela and Brachysira is conducted using strains from Indonesia and Vietnam. New species from the genus Nupela indonesica sp. nov. is described using combined approach. Nupela lesothensis (Schoeman) Lange-Bertalot is investigated using molecular data too. Phylogenetic analysis shows that Nupela and Brachysira are not closest genera. Morphology of Nupela and it differences from Brachysira is discussed. The genus Nupela is differs from all other diatom taxa by having coalescent hymenes ouside of areolae but not inside. Facultative development of raphe between...