Amphipleura
Kützing 1844 Category: Symmetrical biraphid
TYPE SPECIES: Amphipleura pellucida Kützing
Image Credit: Mark Edlund, Sarah Spaulding
CLASS: Bacillariophyceae
ORDER: Naviculales
FAMILY: Amphipleuraceae
- Median rib present, narrow
- Medium rib split at the poles, forming 'needle eyes'
- Raphe short compared to other naviculoid genera
Amphipleura is distinguished by the narrow, median rib that extends along the long axis of the valve. This rib is formed on the internal face of the valve, a feature observable in SEM. Near the valve apices, the rib forms two branches, or 'needle eyes', around the raphe system. The raphe of Amphipleura is short, limited to the area within the "needle eyes". The valves of Amphipleura are linear or spindle-shaped. The striae are composed of extremely fine puncta (0.25 µm in size), which are difficult to resolve, except under conditions of optimal LM resolution. Because of the fine striae, Amphipleura pellicuda is often used as a test organism for microscope optics. The chloroplast is composed of one central H-shaped plastid with a central pyrenoid.
Amphipleura is common in epipelic habitats of lentic and slowly moving waters, predominately in alkaline pH ranges. Cells grow singly, or may be enclosed in gelatinous tubes.
Cite This Page:
Spaulding, S., and Edlund, M. (2009). Amphipleura. In Diatoms of the United States. Retrieved May 21, 2013, from http://westerndiatoms.colorado.edu/taxa/genus/Amphipleura
Contributor: Sarah Spaulding | Mark Edlund - January 2009
Reviewer: Sam Rushforth
Citations
Cox, E.J. (1975). A reappraisal of the diatom genus Amphipleura Kutz. using light and electron microscopy. European Journal of Phycology 10: 1-12.
Drum, R. (1969). Light and electron microscope observations on the tube-dwelling diatom Amphipleura rutilans (Trentpohl) Cleve. Journal of Phycology 5: 21-26.
Hoagland, K.D. (1982). Colonization and community structure of two periphyton assemblages, with emphasis on the diatoms (Bacillariophyceae). American Journal of Botany 69: 188.
Patrick, R.M. and Reimer, C.W. (1966). The Diatoms of the United States exclusive of Alaska and Hawaii, V. 1. Monographs of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 13.
Stoermer, E.F. (1965). Fine structure of the diatom Amphipleura pellucida. II. Cytoplasmic fine structure and frustule formation. American Journal of Botany 52:.