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Sub-Division Bacillariophyceae (Diatomaceae) - Diatoms
Diatoms are unicells that share the feature of having a cell wall made
of silicon dioxide. This opaline or glass frustule is composed of two
parts (valves) -- an epitheca and hypotheca -- which fit together like
a Petri dish (epitheca to the exterior and hypotheca to the interior)
with the help of a cingulum or set of girdle bands.
The taxonomy of diatoms is based in large part on the shape and structure
of the siliceous valves. Although some species can be identified in the
living state, species-level identification usually requires examination
of the shells under high-powered microscopy after the living cells and
mucilage have been removed or 'cleared'.
Diatoms only construct new walls during cell division. After the cell
divides, the epitheca and hypotheca separate, and new valves are laid
down between them. Because the frustule cannot grow once it has been
laid down, the mean size of a dividing population of diatoms gets smaller
and smaller with time. Fortunately, diatoms can also reproduce sexually,
producing offspring that secrete a wholly new cell wall from scratch,
restoring the original size.
Diatoms are an extremely important and diverse portion of the Great
Lakes phytoplankton community. The spring diatom bloom provides the first
pulse of photosynthesis in the lakes for the year kicking the food web
into gear. The fall diatom bloom is also important to the organisms in
the lake providing a pulse of food that will carry them through the winter.
Not all diatoms are planktonic (free-floating); many cling to surfaces
such as aquatic plants, molluscs, crustaceans, and even turtles. The
Great Lakes are home to more than 1400 species of diatoms.
See:
Great
Lakes Diatom Home Page - University of Michigan This
includes a checklist of Great Lakes species, taxonomic keys to group,
photos of most species, size and morphology, and ecology.
Dominant Great Lakes Diatoms
Great Lakes Diatoms Species
List
Class Bacillariophyceae - Diatoms (See - Checklist
of Great Lakes Diatoms) - The list below highlights only
those species found in the supplemental references. Be sure to
click the above link if you want the full list! All species listed
below are also included in the linked checklist except: Cyclotella
tecta, Cyclotella unipunctata, Gomphonema simus, Nitzschia pilum,
Thalassiosira baltica and Synedra socia.
- Genus Achnanthes
- Achnanthes brevipes #
- Achnanthes conspicua *#
- Achnanthes didyma #
- Achnanthes dispar *
- Achnanthes oestrupi *#
- Genus Achnanthidium
- Achnanthidium biasolettianum *#
- Achnanthidium exiguum *#
- Achnanthidium exilis *
- Achnanthidium kryophila #
- Achnanthidium microcephalum *
- Achnanthidium minutissimum *#
- Genus Actinocyclus
- Actinocyclus normanii
- Actinocyclus normanii fo. subsalsa (aka Coscinodiscus
radiatus, C. subsalsa, C. subtilis)E*#
- Genus Amphipleura
- Genus Amphora
- Amphora hemicycla *
- Amphora ovalis *#H
- Amphora perpusilla *#
- Amphora thumensis *#
- Genus Asterionella
- Genus Aulacoseira
- Aulacoseira ambigua (aka Gallionella distans, Melosira
distans)*H
- Aulacoseira distans *
- Aulacoseira granulata (aka Lysigonium granulata,
Melosira granulata)*#H
- Aulacoseira islandica (aka Melosira islandica)*#H DsDmDhDeDo
- Aulacoseira italica (aka Melosira italica) *#H
- Aulacoseira subarctica DmDh
- Genus Brachysira
- Genus Caloneis
- Genus Campylodiscus
- Campylodiscus noricus
- Campylodiscus noricus var. hibernicus (aka Campylodiscus
noricus var. hibernica, C. hibernicus)H
- Genus Cavinula
- Cavinula jaernefeltii (aka Navicula jaernefeltii)*
- Cavinula lacustris (aka Navicula lacustris)*
- Genus Cocconeis
- Cocconeis disculus *
- Cocconeis neodiminuta (aka Cocconeis diminuta)*#
- Cocconeis pediculus#
- Cocconeis placentula*#
- Genus Coscinodiscus
- Genus Craticula
- Craticula cuspidata (aka Navicula cuspidata) H
- Genus Cyclostephanos
- Cyclostephanos dubius (aka Stephanodiscus dubius)*#H
- Cyclostephanos tholiformis *#
- Genus Cyclotella
- Cyclotella antiqua *
- Cyclotella atomus E*#
- Cyclotella catenata *
- Cyclotella comensis *# DhDe
- Cyclotella comta *#H DsDh
- Cyclotella cryptica E*#
- Cyclotella delicatula* # Ds
- Cyclotella glomerata *
- Cyclotella krammeri *#
- Cyclotella kuetzingiana (aka Cyclotella kutzingiana)
*H
- Cyclotella kuetzingiana var. planetophora (aka
Cyclotella kuetzingiana var. phanetophora) H
- Cyclotella meneghiniana *#
- Cyclotella michiganiana*#
- Cyclotella ocellata *#H De
- Cyclotella pseudostelligeraE*#
- Cyclotella stelligera *#
- Cyclotella tecta *
- Cyclotella unipunctata#
- Cyclotella wolterecki E*#
- Genus Cymatopleura
- Cymatopleura elliptica H
- Cymatopleura solea *#H
- Cymatopleura solea var. apiculata H
- Genus Cymbella
- Cymbella affinis (aka Cocconema fusidium)#
- Cymbella cesatii *
- Cymbella cistula (aka Cocconema cistula)*
- Cymbella delicatula *
- Cymbella elginsis (aka C. turgida) H
- Cymbella lanceolata (aka Cocconema lanceolatum) H
- Cymbella mexicana H
- Cymbella microcephala *#
- Cymbella tumida H
- Genus Denticula #
- Denticula tenuis *
- Denticula tenuis var. crassula H
- Genus Diatoma
- Diatoma ehrenbergii E
- Diatoma hiemale #H
- Diatoma tenue *#H
- Diatoma tenue var. elongatum (aka Diatoma elongatum)*H
- Diatoma vulgare#H
- Genus Diploneis
- Diploneis elliptica *
- Diploneis oculata *
- Diploneis ovalis *
- Diploneis parma *
- Genus Encyonema
- Encyonema minutum (aka Cymbella minuta)*#
- Encyonema norvegica (aka Cymbella norvegica)*
- Encyonema prostratum (aka Cymbella prostrata, aka
Gloeonema paradoxum)*#
- Encyonema silesiacum (aka Cymbella minuta v. silesiacum)H
- Genus Entomoneis
- Genus Epithemia
- Epithemia adnata H
- Epithemia adnata var. saxonica H
- Epithemia turgida H
- Genus Eucocconeis
- Eucocconeis flexella *H
- Eucocconeis lapponica *
- Genus Eunotia #
- Genus Fragilaria
- Fragilaria capucina*#H
- Fragilaria crotonensis *#H DsDmDhDeDo
- Fragilaria intermedia *#H
- Fragilaria radians (aka Synedra radians) *#
- Fragilaria vaucheriae*#H
- Genus Fragilariforma
- Fragilariforma virescens (aka Fragilaria virescens)
*#H
- Genus Geissleria
- Geissleria acceptata (aka Navicula acceptata)*
- Geissleria decussis (aka Navicula decussis)#
- Genus Gomphoneis
- Gomphoneis herculeana H
- Gomphoneis olivacea (aka Gomphonema olivaceum) *#H
- Genus Gomphonema
- Gomphonema acuminatum H
- Gomphonema affine *
- Gomphonema dichotomum *
- Gomphonema gracile *
- Gomphonema parvulum *
- Gomphonema pseudotenellum (aka G. tenellum) *#
- Gomphonema simus#
- Gomphonema tergestinum *
- Gomphonema ventricosum H
- Genus Gyrosigma
- Gyrosigma acuminatum (aka G. spencerii)*H
- Gyrosigma attenuatum H
- Gyrosigma sciotoense *#
- Genus Hippodonta
- Hippodonta capitata (aka Navicula capitata)*
- Genus Karayevia
- Genus Kobaysia
- Kobaysia subtilissima (aka Navicula subtilissima)#
- Genus Martyana
- Martyana martyi (aka Opephora martyi)*
- Genus Melosira
- Genus Meridion
- Meridion anceps (aka Diatoma anceps)H
- Meridion circulare *
- Genus Navicula
- Navicula aurora *
- Navicula cincta *
- Navicula cryptocefalsa (aka Navicula cryptocephala)*#H
- Navicula graciloides *
- Navicula gregaria *#
- Navicula integra *
- Navicula lanceolata *#
- Navicula menisculus *#
- Navicula minima #
- Navicula oblonga H
- Navicula odiosa *#
- Navicula platystoma *
- Navicula radiosa *#H
- Navicula reinhardtii *#H
- Navicula rhynchocephala *H
- Navicula seminuloides *#
- Navicula splendicula #
- Navicula submuralis *#
- Navicula tripunctata *
- Navicula viridula*#
- Genus Neidium H
- Genus Nitzschia
- Nitzschia acicularis *#
- Nitzschia acula *
- Nitzschia amphibia *#
- Nitzschia bacata *
- Nitzschia capitellata *#
- Nitzschia closterium *
- Nitzschia confinis *#
- Nitzschia denticula *#
- Nitzschia dissipata *#
- Nitzschia fonticola *#
- Nitzschia frustulum *#
- Nitzschia gandersheimiensis *#
- Nitzschia graciliformis *#
- Nitzschia gracilis *
- Nitzschia heufleriana (aka Nizschia lauenburgiana)*#Do
- Nitzschia impressa *
- Nitzschia kuetzingiana *#
- Nitzschia lacuum *#
- Nitzschia linearis *H
- Nitzschia mediocris *
- Nitzschia palea *#H
- Nitzschia paleacea *
- Nitzschia pilum#
- Nitzschia pura *#
- Nitzschia pusilla *
- Nitzschia recta *#
- Nitzschia romana *
- Nitzschia rostellata*#
- Nitzschia sigmoidea *H
- Nitzschia sociabilis *
- Nitzschia spiculoides *
- Nitzschia spiculum *
- Nitzschia subacicularis *#
- Nitzschia sublinearis *#
- Nitzschia subrostrata #
- Nitzschia tenuis *
- Nitzschia tropica *#
- Nitzschia valdestriata *
- Genus Pinnularia
- Genus Placoneis
- Placoneis exigua (aka Navicula exigua)*
- Placoneis gastrum (aka Navicula gastrum)*
- Placoneis pseudanglica (aka Navicula anglica)*
- Genus Planothidium
- Planothidium haukianum*
- Planothidium lanceolatum *#H
- Genus Psammothidium
- Psammothidium levanderi *
- Psammothidium ventralis #
- Genus Pseudostaurosira
- Pseudostaurosira brevistriata (aka Fragilaria brevistriata)*#
- Genus Reimeria
- Reimeria sinuata (aka Cymbella sinuata)*
- Genus Rhoicosphenia#
- Genus Sellaphora
- Sellaphora pupula (aka Navicula pupula)*
- Sellaphora seminulum (aka Navicula seminulum)*
- Genus Skeletonema
- Skeletonema potamos E*H
- Skeletonema subsalsum E
- Genus Stauroneis
- Genus Staurosira
- Staurosira construens (aka Fragilaria construens)*#H
- Genus Staurosirella
- Staurosirella lapponica (aka Fragilaria lapponica)*
- Staurosirella leptostauron (aka Fragilaria leptostauron)*H
- Staurosirella pinnata (aka Fragilaria pinnata)*#H
- Genus Stephanodiscus
- Stephanodiscus alpinus *# DmDeDo
- Stephanodiscus astraea H
- Stephanodiscus binderanus E*#H De
- Stephanodiscus carconensis*
- Stephanodiscus hantzschii *#H
- Stephanodiscus hantzschii fo. tenuis (aka Stephanodiscus
tenuis)*#HDe
- Stephanodiscus lucens *
- Stephanodiscus minutulus *#
- Stephanodiscus niagarae *#H DsDeDo
- Stephanodiscus parvus *# De
- Stephanodiscus subtilis E
- Stephanodiscus subtransilvanicus DsDmDh
- Stephanodiscus transylvanicus*#
- Genus Surirella
- Surirella birostrata *
- Surirella brebissonii (aka Surirella ovata) *#H
- Genus Synedra
- Synedra acus *#
- Synedra amphicephala *
- Synedra cyclopum *#
- Synedra delicatissima *#
- Synedra filiformis *#
- Synedra minuscula *
- Synedra ostenfeldii *#
- Synedra parasitica *
- Synedra socia#
- Synedra tenera #
- Synedra ulna *#H
- Genus Tabellaria
- Tabellaria fenestrata *H Dh
- Tabellaria flocculosa *#H Dh
- Genus Thalassiosira
- Thalassiosira baltica E Do
- Thalassiosira bramaputrae (aka Coscinodiscus lacustris,
Thalassiosira lacustris)E*#
- Thalassiosira guillardii EE
- Thalassiosira pseudonana E
- Thalassiosira weissflogii (aka Thalassiosira fluviatilis)
*E
- Genus Tryblionella
- Tryblionella acuta (aka Nitzschia acuta)*
- Tryblionella angustata (aka Nitzschia angustata)*#H
- Tryblionella gracile (aka Nitzschia tryblionella)#
- Genus Urosolenia
- Urosolenia eriensis (aka Rhizosolenia eriensis)*H
- Urosolenia longiseta (aka Rhizosolenia longiseta)*#
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Based on: Stoermer, E. F., Kreis, R. G. Jr.
and Andresen, N. A. 1999 Checklist
of diatoms from the Laurentian Great lakes. II. J.
Great Lakes Res. 25:515-566.
* Plankton
in Lake Michigan 1983 - 1992 . EPA/GLNPO. Epilimnetic Phytoplankton
and Zooplankton Biomass and Species Composition in Lake Michigan,
1983 to 1992. Joseph C. Makarewicz, Theodore Lewis and Paul Bertram.
October 1994. [Reports Stylotheca aurea - Other references to
this species of Chrysophyte cannot be found so this species is
not included in the above list]
# Plankton
in Lake Ontario 1986 - 1992. EPA/GLNPO. Epilimnetic Phytoplankton
and Zooplankton Biomass and Species Composition in Lake Ontario,
1986 to 1992. Joseph C. Makarewicz, Theodore Lewis1 and Paul
Bertram. July 1995.
H Brown and Manny. 1983. Nearshore Plankton of Hammond Bay, Lake
Huron. JGLR 9(4)523-529.
E Great
Lakes Aquatic Nonindigenous Species List.
Ds Dm Dh De Do - Dominant algae species of each Lake - Per Results
From The Great Lakes National Program Office's Biological
Open Water Surveillance Program Of The Laurentian Great Lakes
for 1998. EPA. |
Great Lakes Diatom Genera |
Centric Diatoms (Eucentric) |
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NA |
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Actinocyclus |
Actinoptychus |
Aulacoseira |
Coscinodiscus |
Craspedodiscus |
Cyclostephanos |
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Cyclotella |
Ellerbeckia |
Melosira |
Orthoseira |
Skeletonema |
Stephanodiscus |
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Thalassiosira |
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Centric Diatoms (Eccentric) - Radially symmetric
with a bipolar or multipolar valve outline |
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Pennate Diatoms (Araphid) - Bilaterally symmetric
to a central thickening called the central sternum |
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NA |
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Pennate Diatoms (Monoraphid) - Bilaterally symmetric.
One valve has a central sternum. The other has a raphe. |
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NA |
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NA |
NA |
NA |
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Pennate Diatoms (Naviculoid) - Symmetric to both
the longitudinal and transverse axis, raphes on both valves. |
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NA |
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Cavinula |
Chamaepinnularia |
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Diadesmis |
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NA |
NA |
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Sellaphora |
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Pennate Diatoms (Eunotioid) - Raphes on both valves,
but reduced to a short structure on each end of the valve. |
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NA |
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Pennate Diatoms (Cymbelloid) - Asymmetric (bent),
raphes on both valves. |
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Pennate Diatoms (Epithemioid) - Raphes on both valves
which is borne on a specialized tube-like structure called a canal. |
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Pennate Diatoms (Nitzschioid) - Raphes on both valves,
raised above the valve surface on a structure called a keel. The
keel may be on the midline of the valve or displaced toward the
edge. |
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Pennate Diatoms (Surirelloid) - Raphes are wrapped
around the edge of each valve and raised in a special structure
called a wing. |
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