Two new aerophilic species of Stauroneis Ehrenberg (Bacillariophyta) from the Eastern Himalayas

ABSTRACT

Two new diatom taxa belonging to the genus Stauroneis Ehrenberg were discovered from an aerophilic habitat in Sikkim, India, a part of the Eastern Himalayas. The morphology of Stauroneis sikkimensis sp. nov. and Stauroneis lepchae sp. nov. are illustrated with light and scanning electron micrographs and compared with similar species in the genus. S. sikkimensis is characterised by lanceolate valves with a median constriction, bluntly rounded apices, radiate striae, and a H-shaped stauros. S. lepchae has broadly elliptical to lanceolate valves with obtusely rounded apices, radiate striae, and a characteristic bow-tie shaped stauros. These are the first two diatom species described from the Eastern Himalayas of India.

KEYWORDS:

• Biraphid diatom
• bryophyte
• Gangtok
• Sikkim
• Stauroneis sikkimensis sp. nov.
• Stauroneis lepchae sp. nov.
• ultrastructure

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Director, Agharkar Research Institute for the support and encouragement. We are also thankful to Department of Forest, Environment and Wildlife Management, Government of Sikkim for research permission (F. No. 78/GOS/FEWMD/BDR/PCCF/Secy 131). Anonymous reviewers are acknowledged for their constructive comments.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Department of Biotechnology, India (BT/17/NE/TAX). NW grateful to Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), India for providing fellowship (09/670(0081)/2018-EMR-I). SR is supported by SERB National Post-Doctoral Fellowship (PDF/2017/000877).

Notes on contributors

Neha Wadmare

Neha Wadmare, is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at Agharkar Research Institute, Pune, and Savitribai Phule Pune University, India. She is working on systematics and biogeography of genus Stauroneis from the Indian subcontinent. Contribution: Wrote introduction, material and methods, results, discussion, tables, and made plates.

Surajit Roy

Surajit Roy, did his Ph.D. at The University of Burdwan, West Bengal. Now he is a SERB National Post-Doctoral Fellow at Agharkar Research Institute, Pune, India. He is now working on taxonomy and ecology of rocky pool diatoms of the Western Ghats, India. Contribution: Wrote introduction, discussion, tables and developed the manuscript.

John Patrick Kociolek

John Patrick Kociolek, is Professor and Director of the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History, University of Colorado, Boulder, USA. He is interested on taxonomy, systematics, evolution, biogeography and ecology of diatoms from different parts of world. Contribution: Provided helpful information, wrote discussion. He performed a critical reading, revision and editing of the manuscript.

Balasubramanian Karthick

Balasubramanian Karthick, Scientist at Biodiversity and Paleobiology Group of Agharkar Research Institute, Pune India. He is also affiliated with Department of Botany, Savitribai Phule Pune University, India. He is interested in diversity and distribution of diatoms of Indian peninsula. Currently he is working on taxonomy and systematics of endemic freshwater diatom flora of Eastern Himalayas and Peninsular India. Contribution: Conceived the idea, designed research, performed field work, revised and developed the manuscript.