Cymbopleura austriaca | Species - Diatoms of North America

Category

Asymmetric Biraphid
Length Range

54-107 µm
Width Range

14.2-19.6 µm
Striae in 10 µm

center: 9-10 (dorsal), 11-12 (ventral); 13-15 ends

Contributor

Loren Bahls - Jan 2012
Reviewer

Sam Rushforth - Aug 2012

Identification

View image metadata

Description

Valves are dorsiventral and broadly linear-lanceolate to elliptic-lanceolate with an arcuate dorsal margin and slightly convex ventral margin. Apices are obtusely rounded. The axial area is ventrally displaced and rather straight and broad, expanding towards a somewhat wider central area and together forming a narrow lanceolate shape running the length of the valve. Raphe branches are strongly lateral but become filiform near the distal ends and strongly reverse-lateral near the proximal ends. Proximal raphe ends are slightly expanded. Terminal raphe fissures are comma-shaped and deflected dorsally. Striae are radiate in the middle and become curved and more strongly radiate towards the apices; in the largest specimens, striae are parallel and wavy near the apices. Striae and areolae are more widely spaced on the dorsal side than on the ventral side. Areolae number 20-26 (dorsal) and 24-28 (ventral) in 10 µm.

Autecology

The preferred habitat for Cymbopleura austriaca is among moss on wet rock walls and in seeps and springs in the mountains. It also shows up occasionally in samples from small streams and lakes. Krammer (2003) reports this taxon from the Alps in waters of moderate electrolyte content.

Size Range, µm3

10001-100000
Motility

Moderately motile
Attachment

Unattached
Habitat

Moist habitats Benthic
Colony

Solitary
Occurrence

Rare
Waterbody

Inland Rivers Lakes Springs
Learn more about this

Credit: John Pierce

Mud Lake, Bob Marshall Wilderness, Montana: home of Cymbopleura austriaca.

Original Description

Images published in Schmidt et al. 1875 without description.

Basionym

Cymbella austriaca
Author

Grunow in Schmidt et al. 1875

Original Images

Citations & Links

Citations

Cite This Page

Bahls, L. (2012). Cymbopleura austriaca. In Diatoms of North America. Retrieved December 21, 2024, from https://diatoms.org/species/47562/cymbopleura_austriaca

Responses

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