Species Composition of Algal Epiphyton of Pink Lotus (Nymphaea pubescens Willd) Found in Laguna de Bay (Philippines)

Abstract

In spite of the fact that epiphytic algae are considered an important component of freshwater ecosystems, our knowledge of their diversity and distribution is still rather poor. Taxonomic study on the composition of epiphytic algae living on submerged leaf and root tissues of macrophyte Nymphaea pubescens Willd, found at Laguna de Bay (Philippines), was conducted. In total, 21 algal taxa were identified: 10 Cyanophyceae, 6 Trebouxiophyceae, and 5 Bacillariophyceae. The taxa described in this study represent 13 orders, 16 families, 18 genera, and 21 species based on the recent combined taxonomical approach. Of these taxa, the occurrence of a rare cyanobacteria, Chroococcus schizodermaticus West, is reported for the first time in the Philippines. One species is also reported here for the first time in the Philippines, based on current taxonomic nomenclature, and this is Cyanothece aeruginosa (Nägeli) Komárek, which is based on the former name of Synechococcus aeruginosus Nägeli. These taxonomic records are considered important basal information in enriching the knowledge about the diversity and habitat distribution of cyanobacteria and microalgae in macrophytes found in freshwater habitats in the Philippines.