Acanthoceras
Honigmann 1910 Category: Centric
TYPE SPECIES: Acanthoceras madgeburgense Honigmann
CLASS: Coscinodiscophyceae
ORDER: Rhizosoleniales
FAMILY: Achanthocerataceae
- Spines two per valve, elongated
- Frustules lightly silicified
- Numerous scale-like copulae
Acanthoceras is a solitary, planktonic genus. Cells are usually seen in girdle view, because of the numerous girdle bands and spines creating a large length to breadth ratio. This centric diatom appears somewhat rectangular in shape, with two spines, or setae, extending from each valve. Living cells contain four small, plate-like chloroplasts.
Populations of Acanthoceras form ephemeral summer blooms in shallow, eutrophic lakes and ponds in North America. The lightly silicified valves of this taxon are easily destroyed with standard diatom processing methods, and the genus is rarely recorded except in live material or burned-mount preparations. As with Urosolenia, Acanthoceras forms heavily silicified resting spores. These spores have a characteristic morphology and are often encountered in sediment cores.
Cite This Page:
Spaulding, S., and Edlund, M. (2009). Acanthoceras. In Diatoms of the United States. Retrieved May 21, 2013, from http://westerndiatoms.colorado.edu/taxa/genus/Acanthoceras
Contributor: Sarah Spaulding | Mark Edlund - January 2009
Reviewer: Sam Rushforth
Citations
Edlund, M.B. and Stoermer, E.F. (1993). Resting spores of the freshwater diatoms Acanthoceras and Urosolenia. Journal of Paleolimnology 9: 55-61.
Edlund, M.B. and Wynne, M.J. (1996). (1234) Proposal to conserve the name Acanthoceras Honigm. (Bacillariophyceae) against Acanthoceras Kutz. (Rhodophyceae). Taxon 45: 529-530.
Huber-Pestalozzi, G. (1942). Das Phytoplankton des Susswasers. Systematik und Biologie. In Die Binnengewasser, A. Thienemann (ed.) 16: 367-549. E Schweizerbart'sche Verlag. Stuttgart, Germany.
Hustedt, F. (1930). Die Kieselalgen Deutschlands, Osterreichs und der Schweiz mit Berucksichtigung der ubrigen Lander Europas sowie der angrenzenden Meersgebiete. In: Dr. L. Rabenhorst's Kryptogamen-Flora von Deutschland, Osterreich und der Schweiz. Leipzig, Akademische Verlagsgesellschaft Geest und Portig K.-G. Vol. 7, Part 3, pp. 557-816.
Simonsen, R. (1979). The diatom system: ideas on phylogeny. Bacillaria 2: 9-71.