Diatoms of North AmericaDiatoms of North America

Gomphonema mexicanum

Grunow in Van Heurck 1880

Gomphonema Mexicanum Guide
  • Category
    Asymmetric Biraphid
  • Length Range
    26-55 µm
  • Width Range
    9-13 µm
  • Striae in 10 µm
    9-11

Identification

Mexicanum 006 Mexicanum 001 Mexicanum 005 Mexicanum 002 Mexicanum 003 Mexicanum 004
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Description

Valves are elliptical-clavate with the headpole produced slightly and broadly rostrate and footpole rounded. Axial area is straight, expanded slightly due to a shortened stria on either side of the central area. A single stigma is present in the central area. The internal opening of the stigma opening is offset from the external opening. The raphe is lateral and weakly undulate. External proximal raphe ends are dilated slightly. Striae are punctate, parallel to radiate, number 9-11 in 10 µm and are strongly radiate at the footpole. An apical pore field is present at the footpole. Septa and pseudosepta are present at the poles.

There is no evidence to support Krammer and Lange-Bertalot”s (1986) inclusion of this species within “Gomphonema clavatum Ehrenberg” (compare the forms in plate 163, Fig. 9 for G. mexicanum in that reference).

Autecology

Original Description

  • Author
    Grunow in Van Heurck 1880

Original Images

Van Heurck 1880

Cite This Page

Kociolek, P. (2011). Gomphonema mexicanum. In Diatoms of North America. Retrieved April 20, 2024, from https://diatoms.org/species/gomphonema_mexicanum

Responses

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