Halamphora minima (Catenulaceae, Bacillariophyta), new brackish diatom species from the mudflat in Hampyeong Bay, Korea

Abstract

The diversity of benthic diatoms living in the tidal flats is thought to be very high but has been somewhat marginalized from our main concern. We propose a new species, Halamphora minima sp. nov. isolated as monoclonal cultures from a tidal mudflat based on light and scanning electron microscopy and molecular analysis. This species is the smallest known species of the genus Halamphora to date. Other main characteristics that distinguish this species are the biseriate separated by strongly developed costa for the majority of the valve face, and density of dorsal striae. Phylogenetic analysis of the chloroplast ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase large chain gene showed that H. minima seems to be related to H. foramina, H. sydowii and H. tumida, but the phylogenetic location of H. minima was not clear due to the low bootstrap.