Skeletonema
Greville 1865 Category: Centric
TYPE SPECIES: Skeletonema costatum Cleve
CLASS: Coscinodiscophyceae
ORDER: Thalassiosirales
FAMILY: Skeletonemataceae
- Valves lightly silicified
- Elongate tubular process links cells to form colonies
Valves of Skeletonema are very lightly silicified and often collapse when dried, or dissolve with standard processing methods. The marginal fultoportulae are positioned at the base of each connecting or tubular process. This process links frustules into long colonies. A single rimoportula is located at the base of the connecting process.
Skeletonema grows primarily in marine and estuaries. Species within the genus are know to form large blooms in eutrophic and saline inland lakes and large rivers. Specimens of Skeletonema may be overlooked in samples due to their very light silicification.
Cite This Page:
Spaulding, S., and Edlund, M. (2009). Skeletonema. In Diatoms of the United States. Retrieved June 18, 2013, from http://westerndiatoms.colorado.edu/taxa/genus/Skeletonema
Contributor: Sarah Spaulding | Mark Edlund - January 2009
Citations
Gallagher, J.C. (1980). Population genetics of Skeletonema costatum (Bacillariophyceae) in Narragansett Bay. Journal of Phycology 16: 464-474.
Hasle, G.R. and Evensen, D.L. (1975). Brackish-water and fresh-water species of the diatom genus Skeletonema Grev. I. Skeletonema subsalsum (A.Cleve) Bethge. Phycologia 14 :283-297.
Hasle, G.R. and Evensen, D.L. (1976). Brackish water and freshwater species of the diatom genus Skeletonema. II. Skeletonema potamos comb. nov. Journal of Phycology 12: 73-82.