Valves clavate, with broadly rounded headpole. Four isolated stigmoids are present in line with most proximal full length striae. One or two shortened striae are present at each margin at the valve center. Striae are weakly radiate throughout, more radiate at the footpole and nearly parallel at the headpole. The raphe is straight.
This taxon is a member of the quadra-stigmoid gomphonemoids, a difficult and presently confusing group of closely related species. As with many diatom species complexes, the group is deserving of more work because 1) the type specimens or material of many taxa in the group are not available; 2) Taxa that were described by early authors were not adequately circumscribed. For example, the original description of Gomphonema olivaceoides var. densestriata appears to be based on a single valve, with a stria count of 18 in 10 µm; 3) This variety is distinguished based on stria count, and it is likely that the population has a far wider range in stria density; 4) In North America, particularly in the Northwest, there are a number of undescribed taxa in this group. The work of Bahls (personal communication, 2017) has uncovered a great deal of variability in this group.
This taxon should be compared closely with Gomphoneis pseudo-okunoi, which has a narrow range in stria density (13-15 in 10 µm).
Levkov and Williams (2011) described a diatom with a similar sounding name, Gomphonema densistriatum, from Lake Ohrid, Macedonia. That taxon, however, is heterotypic and bears little resemblance to Gomphonella fogedii.
This taxon has been observed across the northern United States (as Gomphonema olivaceoides var. densestriata). Stoermer et al. (1999) note its presence in the Checklist of Diatoms from the Laurentian Great Lakes. Patrick and Reimer (1975) documented specimens from Lake Quinault on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington. Bahls (personal communication, 2017) recorded a large number of taxa closely related to this taxon from the Pacific Northwest.
From August 3, 2018 until March 18, 2024, this taxon appeared on diatoms.org as Gomphonema olivaceoides var. densestriata Foged 1963. Following Edlund et al. (2024), the taxon is a replaced synonym. It now appears as Gomphonella fogedii Edlund.
Revision based on molecular and morphological phylogeny of several gomphonemoid taxa (Jahn et al. 2019) resulted in the recognition of a monophyletic group of Gomphonema olivaceum (Hornemann) Ehrenb. and its allies. The genus Gomphonella Rabenhorst 1853 was resurrected to accommodate the lineage (Edlund et al. 2024). - S. Spaulding
Bishop, I. (2017). Gomphonella fogedii. In Diatoms of North America. Retrieved November 21, 2024, from https://diatoms.org/species/gomphonella-fogedii
The 15 response plots show an environmental variable (x axis) against the relative abundance (y axis) of Gomphonella fogedii 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.