Amphorotia
Williams and Reid 2006 Category: Eunotioid
TYPE SPECIES: Amphorotia clevei Williams and Reid
CLASS: Bacillariophyceae
ORDER: Eunotiales
FAMILY: Eunotiaceae
- Valves slightly to stongly asymmetrical to the apical axis
- Valve symmetrical to transapical axis
- Rimoportulae two per valve
- Valves greater than 60 µm in length
Valves of Amphorotia are large in size, generally greater than 60 µm in length. The valves are asymmetrical to the apical axis and symmetrical to the transapical axis. In addition, the frustules are asymmetrical to the transapical plane, so that the dorsal mantle is very broad as compared to the ventral mantle. Each valve has two rimoportulae, positioned near the apices. The areaolae are coarsely punctate and not well organized into striae.
In North America, this taxon is only known as a fossil form. Extant populations of Amphorotia clevei are present in large oligotrophic Scandinavian and Baltic lakes. Endemic Amphorotia lineages are found in Lake Baikal, Mongolia's Lake Hövsgöl, and in China.
Cite This Page:
Spaulding, S., and Edlund, M. (2009). Amphorotia. In Diatoms of the United States. Retrieved May 22, 2013, from http://westerndiatoms.colorado.edu/taxa/genus/Amphorotia
Contributor: Sarah Spaulding | Mark Edlund - January 2009
Reviewer: Sam Rushforth
Citations
Edlund, M.B., Soninkhishig, N., Williams, D.M., and Stoermer, E.F. (2000). Taxonomy and morphology of Eunotia clevei. Diatom Research 15: 209-219.
Williams, D.M. and Reid, G. (2006). Amphorotia nov. gen., a new genus in the family Eunotiaceae (Bacillariophyceae) based on Eunotia clevei Grunow in Cleve et Grunow. Diatom Monographs, Vol. 6. A.R.G. Verlag K.G., 153 pp.