Abstract
A new raphid diatom genus, Lunella, is described. The new genus is probably closely related to Parlibellus E.J. Cox, but differs from it by a “catenuloid” cell construction. The valve face of Lunella is asymmetrical about the apical plane: it has a straight ventral margin, a convex dorsal margin, and an eccentric raphe situated near the junction of the valve face and the ventral mantle. Furthermore, the taxa belonging to Parlibellus typically have a wide girdle region with numerous girdle bands and often a strongly convex valve face, whereas Lunella possesses fewer girdle bands and a flat valve face. The type species of the genus, Lunella bisecta sp. nov., is described from brackish water (5 %°) in the northern Baltic Sea at Forsmark in Sweden. Highest abundance of this species was found in late winter (February-March), when it was growing in an epilithic mucilage matrix together with Nitzschia inconspicua Grunow and other diatoms in water of 0°C. Under the light microscope L bisecta resembles Catenula ad...
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