Valves are lanceolate with acutely rounded ends. The raphe is filiform. The central portions of the raphe branches and proximal raphe ends are deflected toward the primary side. Terminal raphe fissures are hooked towards the secondary side. The axial area is narrow and linear. The central area is asymmetric, "bow-tie" shaped on the primary side and crescent-shaped at the secondary side. The lineolate striae are radiate, becoming convergent at the valve apices. Striae number 12-14 in 10 µm and areolae number 30-35 in 10 µm.
Navicula erifuga prefers brackish water or fresh water of high mineral content, and it is tolerant of high nutrient concentrations.
Potapova, M. (2009). Navicula erifuga. In Diatoms of North America. Retrieved October 30, 2024, from https://diatoms.org/species/navicula_erifuga
The 15 response plots show an environmental variable (x axis) against the relative abundance (y axis) of Navicula erifuga 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.