Valves are nearly oval. The axial area is narrow, linear with a small, slightly rectangular central area, 1.0–1.5 µm wide. The longitudinal canal is narrow and linear. The raphe is straight with slightly expanded central ends. The striae are robust and slightly radiate. The areolae may be undistinguishable under LM, but with critical illumination appear biseriate.
Recent workers on the genus Diploneis question the identity of this taxon (Lange-Bertalot and Fuhrmann 2016). In fact, they suggest that it may belong to a different small, naviculoid genus. Although Lange-Bertalot and Fuhrmann reported specimens of D. puella from the Pissa River, near Königsberg and the Baltic Sea at the port of Baltijsk, images of those specimens were not published.
Indeed, identity of D. puella may not be resolved, as it is not clear that the original material of Schumann is available. Consequently, this taxon may be recognized to be something other than D. puella.
This taxon occurred in moderate abundance in the benthos of Lichau Creek near Penngrove, California. It was found growing in association with D. abscondita.
Diploneis puella was originally described from the River Pissa, Johannessberg, South Africa (Schumman 1867).
Navicula Puella. N. minima, elliptica, linea media parum notata, nodulo centrali rotundo-elliptico, nod. term. vix notatis, striis manifestis subradiantibus. Long. 2 3/4 - 5, lat. = 2/3 longitudinus, striae (quarum longissimae e 5 granulis parum notatis sunt compositae) 38 in 1/100 Lin. 15 Ex. In flumine Pissa prope Johannisburg, in portu Pillawensi, in mari baltico numerosae vivunt.
Polaskey, M. (2019). Diploneis puella. In Diatoms of North America. Retrieved December 03, 2024, from https://diatoms.org/species/diploneis-puella
The 15 response plots show an environmental variable (x axis) against the relative abundance (y axis) of Diploneis puella 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.