Three new species of Diatoms have been described from Indian subcontinent by Dr. Karthick and team | A short note on recent algal new species publication

Original article title: Description and phylogenetic position of three new species of Stauroneis Ehrenberg (Bacillariophyceae: Stauroneidaceae) from the Indian Subcontinent

The article is written by Neha Wadmare, Abhishek Baghela, John Patrick Kociolek & Balasubramanian Karthick in European Journal of Phycology.

(Source: European Journal of Phycology)

In the introduction, the authors have given details on Diatom first and then about the genus Stauroneis Ehrenberg. They also described some morphological, taxonomic, and diversity data regarding Stauroneis species.

In Materials and Methods, they have given detailed information regarding sample collection and also they analyzed physicochemical parameter of the habitat water. Also, they have given details regarding Microscopic observation, culture development methods, DNA isolation, amplification and purification methods, the last part of materials and methods covers the details regarding the phylogenetic analysis.

In this study two species were collected from Maharashtra (Chalkewadi plateau, Maharashtra, and Manjare plateau, Maharashtra) each one strains collected from Kerala (Eravikulam National Park,) and Sikkim. 

In the Results, they have described three species, Vis. Stauroneis lateritica Wadmare, Kociolek & B. Karthick, sp. nov., Stauroneis sholaii Wadmare, Kociolek & B.Karthick, sp. nov., and Stauroneis bartii Wadmare, Kociolek & B. Karthick, sp. nov. apart from this they have described one known species also. For each species, they have provided Light Microscopy images, Scanning Electron Microscope images, Morphological description and Molecular data. The phylogenetic analysis confirms the species identification. Every species compared with similar species in detail. 

From this article four diatom species have been added to Indian Biodiversity data.

To read more about this article follow the link

Neha Wadmare, Abhishek Baghela, John Patrick Kociolek & Balasubramanian Karthick (2021): Description and phylogenetic position of three new species of Stauroneis Ehrenberg (Bacillariophyceae: Stauroneidaceae) from the Indian Subcontinent, European Journal of Phycology, DOI: 10.1080/09670262.2021.1888390

Content created by Vinaya Sugumar

ORIGINAL ABSTRACT FOR REFERENCE

    Stauroneis Ehrenberg is a species-rich genus that is common and widespread with some variation in frustule morphology. Recently, studies have explored the molecular diversity of the Stauroneis from the temperate region, but there are no molecular data for tropical species. In the present study, four species of Stauroneis were investigated using morphological and molecular data. Morphological characters were analysed using light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the features of each taxon were compared with similar species within the genus. For the molecular analyses, Stauroneis strains were isolated, cultured, DNA was extracted, and sequences from rbcL and 18S genes were analysed to determine phylogenetic relationships. Our analysis describes three new species and records one previously known species. The new species are: (1) Stauroneis lateritica Wadmare, Kociolek & B.Karthick, characterized by small frustules with elliptical lanceolate valves and short subrostrate apices, broad central bow-tie shaped stauros, and few moderate striae centrally becoming strongly radiate towards the poles; (2) Stauroneis sholaii Wadmare, Kociolek & B.Karthick, which has broad lanceolate valves with short rectangular stauros and radiate striae; and (3) Stauroneis bartii Wadmare, Kociolek & B.Karthick, which has large, lanceolate valves with rounded apices, a stauros with 4–7 shortened striae and radiate striae. Ultrastructure and molecular data from India for the previously known, widespread species Stauroneis gracilis Ehrenberg are presented. The combined morphological and molecular approach supports recognition of S. lateritica, S. sholaii and S. bartii as new species. This study is the first-ever attempt at molecular species discovery of diatoms from the Indian subcontinent.