Gomphonema pygmaeum | Species - Diatoms of North America

Category

Asymmetric Biraphid
Length Range

10-40 µm
Width Range

3-5 µm
Striae in 10 µm

10-13 in the center, 14-16 at the footpole

Contributor

Pat Kociolek - Sep 2015
Reviewer

Sarah Spaulding - Sep 2016

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Identification

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Description

Valves are linear-clavate, with a squarish to rounded, protracted headpole. The footpole is rounded. The axial area is narrow, and expanded to form a transverse fascia as a central area. Striae are shortened on either side of the central area. A single, distinct stigma is present near the proximal raphe ends. The raphe is weakly lateral and slightly undulate. The external proximal ends are slightly dilated and rounded. Striae are radiate, near the center, becoming more strongly radiate at the footpole.

Under SEM, G. pygmaeum has C-shaped areolae and a round, unoccluded opening of the stigma. The proximal fissures of the raphe are dilated, while the distal raphe ends are deflected onto the mantle. The apical porefield is bisected by the raphe and formed by round, unoccluded porelli that are separated from the areolae by a hyaline area.

Autecology

Gomphonema pygmaeum was described from rock scrapes from the shore of Lake Superior. The specimens illustrated here are from Oregon, and it likely occurs in other regions of the country.

Size Range, µm3

11-100
Motility

Moderately motile
Habitat

Benthic
BCG

BCG 2
Waterbody

Inland
Distribution

Western rivers 2004 California coastal rivers 2017 Northeast lake sediments
Learn more about this

Original Description

Author

Kociolek and Stoermer 1991
Length Range

11-40 µm
Width

3-5 µm
Striae in 10µm

11-13

Original Images

Citations & Links

Citations

Kociolek, J.P. and Stoermer, E.F. (1991) Taxonomy and ultrastructure of some Gomphonema and Gomphoneis taxa from the Upper Laurentian Great Lakes Canadian Journal of Botany 69: 1557-1576

Publication Link: 10.1139/b91-200

Cite This Page

Kociolek, P. (2015). Gomphonema pygmaeum. In Diatoms of North America. Retrieved December 30, 2024, from https://diatoms.org/species/50318/gomphonema_pygmaeum

Responses

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