Revision of the non-marine centric diatom flora (Bacillariophyta) of the sub-Antarctic Campbell Island (southern Pacific Ocean) with the descriptions of five new species

Charlotte Goeyers,Bart Van De Vijver

doi:10.5852/ejt.2020.694

Charlotte Goeyers, Bart Van De Vijver

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2020.694

Copy DOI

Abstract

During a survey of the moss-inhabiting diatom flora of the sub-Antarctic Campbell Island, located in the southern Pacific Ocean, several unknown centric diatoms were observed that could not be identified using the currently available literature. Detailed light and scanning electron microscopical observations and comparisons with the characters of several species of Melosira, Angusticopula, Ferocia and Arcanodiscus worldwide indicated that five of them should be described as new to science: Angusticopula cosmica Goeyers & Van de Vijver sp. nov., Arcanodiscus crawfordianus Goeyers & Van de Vijver sp. nov., A. indistinctus Goeyers & Van de Vijver sp. nov., A. saundersianus Goeyers & Van de Vijver sp. nov. and Ferocia houkiana Goeyers & Van de Vijver sp. nov. A sixth species, Angusticopula chilensis, was illustrated for the first time using SEM and as a result is considered to differ sufficiently from A. dickiei to warrant epitypification as A. chilensis. The new species were first described in genera that formerly were included within the genus Melosira. All six species are morphologically characterized and compared with similar species within their respective genera. Their presence and distribution on Campbell Island are discussed based on the observations made in the available samples.

Highlights

The non-marine diatom flora of the sub-Antarctic Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean has received far less attention than the flora in theAntarctic parts of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans
Macquarie Island, a small Australian island situated between Tasmania and the Antarctic Continent
Three new diatom species have recently been described from Macquarrie Island and, to date, only from there: Gomphonema isabellae Van de Vijver & T.P.McBride (2006), Navicula bergstromiana Van de Vijver & Verleyen and Psammothidium hodgsonianum Van de Vijver (2019)

Summary

Introduction

The non-marine diatom flora of the sub-Antarctic Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean has received far less attention than the flora in the (sub-)Antarctic parts of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans (see for instance Van de Vijver et al 2002; Zidarova et al 2016 and references therein). Three new diatom species have recently been described from Macquarrie Island and, to date, only from there: Gomphonema isabellae Van de Vijver & T.P.McBride (2006), Navicula bergstromiana Van de Vijver & Verleyen (in Sabbe et al 2019) and Psammothidium hodgsonianum Van de Vijver (2019). The analysis of the latter species was made when revising all taxa showing some similarity with Psammothidium manguinii (Hust.) Van de Vijver. A second new species was recently described in the genus Frankophila, living on wet mosses collected on Campbell Island (Van de Vijver et al 2020)

Methods

Results

Conclusion