Diatoms of North AmericaDiatoms of North America

Karayevia clevei

(Grunow) Bukht. 1999

Karayevia Clevei Guide
  • Category
    Monoraphid
  • Length Range
    10-28 µm
  • Width Range
    5.0-8.2 µm
  • Striae in 10 µm
    9-12 on rapheless valve, 18-24 on raphe valve

Identification

Gs115987 4 Gs115987 2 Gs115987 1 Gs115987 5 Gs115987 3 Gs115987 7 Gsn23519 1 1
View image metadata
Karayevia clevei SEM3 Karayevia clevei SEM1 Karayevia clevei SEM2

Description

Valves are lanceolate with rounded to subrostrate apices. The raphe valve has a narrowly lanceolate axial area and no distinct central area. The raphe is straight, with terminal fissures deflected to the same side. The proximal raphe ends are slightly expanded externally. The proximal raphe ends are deflected toward opposite sides internally. Striae on raphe valve are radiate, 18-24 in 10 µm. Shortened marginal striae are often present in the middle part of the raphe valve. The areolae openings are transapical slits. The rapheless valve has a narrow linear axial area and no central area. Striae on rapheless valve are coarsely punctate, parallel in the center and slightly radiate at apices, 9-12 in 10 µm. The openings of the areolae are transapically elliptical.

Autecology

This taxon has been reported with light micrographs from the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, Cascades, Coast Ranges and Sierras (Bahls 2021).

In the Great Lakes National Parks (Edlund et al. 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013), this taxon is uncommon (1-5% abundance) in sediment core material from Isle Royale (Richie and Ahmik lakes), Pictured Rocks (Grand Sable and Beaver lakes), Voyageurs (Mukooda Lake), and St. Croix Scenic Riverway (Lake St. Croix), and rare (0.1-1% abundance) at Sleeping Bear Dunes (Manitou Lake).

This taxon is known to occur in lakes, mountain rivers and creeks with cool alkaline waters of moderate conductivity and nutrient content (Patrick and Reimer 1966, Bahls 2021).

Several research groups consider this taxon an indicator organism and published regional environmental optima and tolerances including:

Bahls (2021): Conductivity - 393 µS/cm, pH - 8.0, Temperature - 17.4°C, Total Nitrogen - 0.23 mg/L, Total Phosphorus - 25 µg/L for populations from Northwestern North America.

Original Description

Klein, Schaalen breit lanzettlich mit stumpf vorgezogenen En-den. Querstreifen radial, in der Unterschaale 18—24, in der Oberschaale 9—11 in 0,01 mm., stark punktirt.

  • Basionym
    Achnanthes clevei
  • Author
    Grunow in Cleve and Grunow 1880
  • Striae in 10µm
    18-24 on raphe valve, 9-11 on rapheless valve

Original Images

Orig Ill A Clevei
Karclev Orig Desc

Citations & Links

Citations

Links

  • Index Nominum Algarum
    Original
  • North American Diatom Ecological Database
    NADED ID: 125001

Updates

Feb 05, 2026 - Addition of Autecology

From 2010 until 2026, the autecological information on this taxon page was limited. As of this update, information on ecology, biogeography, and environmental optima have been added. - Lane Allen and Mark Edlund

Cite This Page

Potapova, M., Edlund, M., Allen, L. (2010). Karayevia clevei. In Diatoms of North America. Retrieved February 14, 2026, from https://diatoms.org/species/45005/karayevia_clevei

Responses

The 15 response plots show an environmental variable (x axis) against the relative abundance (y axis) of Karayevia clevei 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.