Diatoms of North AmericaDiatoms of North America

Pinnularia lunata

Krammer and Lange-Bertalot 1999

Pinnularia lunata guide
  • Category
    Symmetric Biraphid
  • Length Range
    43-60 µm
  • Width Range
    6.9-8.7 µm
  • Striae in 10 µm
    11-12

Identification

Pinnularia lunata LM2 Pinnularia lunata LM6 Pinnularia lunata LM4 Pinnularia lunata LM7 Pinnularia lunata LM3 Pinnularia lunata LM1 Pinnularia lunata LM5
View image metadata
Pinnularia lunata SEM1

Description

Valves are linear-lanceolate with rounded subrostrate apices. The axial area is narrow, gradually widening towards valve center. The central area is a broad bow tie-shaped fascia, ornamented by two lines of rounded markings, which are depressions of the external valve surface. Striae are radiate in the middle portion of the valve and convergent at the apices.

Autecology

Specimens shown on this page are from two freshwater lakes in the vicinity of Point Barrow, Alaska. The material is from Patrick and Freese (1961).

This taxon has been reported from an island off the arctic coast of Siberia (Lange-Bertalot and Genkal 1999).

Original Description

Valvae rhombico-lanceolatae, margine convexa, apicibus subcapitate protractis et rotundatis, 42-48 µm longae, 8-9,5 µm latae. Raphe leniter lateralis, poris centralibus parvis, fissuris terminalibus indistinctis. Area axialis angusta vel anguste-lanceolata ad nodulum centralem versus dilatata, area centralis lata, ad margines valvae extendens, in utroque latere cum macula lunata striata notato. Striae transapicales valde radiantes in media parte valvae, convergentes ad apices, 9-10 in 10 µm, lineae longitudinales nullae.

  • Author
    Krammer & Lange-Bertalot 1999
  • Length Range
    42-48 µm
  • Width
    8-9.5 µm
  • Striae in 10µm
    9-10

Original Images

Pinnularia lunata orig illus
Pinnularia lunata orig desc

Cite This Page

Leppik, S., Potapova, M. (2025). Pinnularia lunata. In Diatoms of North America. Retrieved May 14, 2025, from https://diatoms.org/species/330013/pinnularia-lunata

Responses

The 15 response plots show an environmental variable (x axis) against the relative abundance (y axis) of Pinnularia lunata from all the stream reaches where it was present. Note that the relative abundance scale is the same on each plot. Explanation of each environmental variable and units are as follows:

ELEVATION = stream reach elevation (meters)
STRAHLER = distribution plot of the Strahler Stream Order
SLOPE = stream reach gradient (degrees)
W1_HALL = an index that is a measure of streamside (riparian) human activity that ranges from 0 - 10, with a value of 0 indicating of minimal disturbance to a value of 10 indicating severe disturbance.
PHSTVL = pH measured in a sealed syringe sample (pH units)
log_COND = log concentration of specific conductivity (µS/cm)
log_PTL = log concentration of total phosphorus (µg/L)
log_NO3 = log concentration of nitrate (µeq/L)
log_DOC = log concentration of dissolved organic carbon (mg/L)
log_SIO2 = log concentration of silicon (mg/L)
log_NA = log concentration of sodium (µeq/L)
log_HCO3 = log concentration of the bicarbonate ion (µeq/L)
EMBED = percent of the stream substrate that is embedded by sand and fine sediment
log_TURBIDITY = log of turbidity, a measure of cloudiness of water, in nephelometric turbidity units (NTU).
DISTOT = an index of total human disturbance in the watershed that ranges from 1 - 100, with a value of 0 indicating of minimal disturbance to a value of 100 indicating severe disturbance.