Aulacoseira canadensis
(Hustedt) Simonsen 1979 Category: Centric
BASIONYM: Melosira canadensis Hustedt 1952
LM scalebar = 10 µm = 80 pixels.
Observations
Contributor: Loren Bahls - March 2012
Length Range: 5-16 µm
Width Range: 13-22 µm
Striae in 10 µm: 6-11
Description
Frustules are cylindrical and form colonies. Valves are 5-16 µm in diameter, with a mantle height of 13-22 µm. The ratio of mantle height to valve diameter is >1. The mantle has straight sides, but sides may be curved in smaller diameter cells. Rows of mantle areolae are straight, 6-11 in 10 µm, with 5-10 very large blocky or oblong areolae in 10 µm. In smaller diameter cells areolae may be disorganized and more widely spaced. The height of the collum varies between 1/3 and 1/10 of the mantle height. The valve face is usually covered by areolae, but in some specimens there are areolae only at the periphery of the valve face. Linking spines are present. The ringleiste is solid and located on the border between the collum and the part of the mantle containing areolae.
Original Description
Basionym: Melosira canadensis
Author: Hustedt 1952
Length Range: µm
Striae in 10 µm:
Original Description
Original Images
Cite This Page:
Bahls, L. (2012). Aulacoseira canadensis. In Diatoms of the United States. Retrieved May 22, 2013, from http://westerndiatoms.colorado.edu/taxa/species/aulacoseira_canadensis
Species: Aulacoseira canadensis
Contributor: Loren Bahls
Reviewer: Sarah Spaulding
Image Credit: Loren Bahls
- Ratio of mantle height to valve diameter >1
- Rows of mantle areolae straight
- Mantle areolae large and square or oblong
- Spines of one size
Valves are 5-16 µm in diameter, with a mantle height of 13-22 µm. Mantle areolae are large and square or oblong in shape and arranged in straight rows. Spines of one size.
Compare
Aulacoseira crassipunctata has round areolae. Aulacoseira granulata has very long spines on separation valves.
Aulacoseira crassipunctata
Aulacoseira granulata
Citations
Bahls, L., Potapova, M., Fallu, M.A. and Pienitz, R. (2009). Aulacoseira canadensis and Aulacoseira crassipunctata (Bacillariophyta) in North America. Nova Hedwigia, Beiheft 135: 167-184.
Hustedt, F. (1952). Neue und wenig bekannte Diatomeen. IV. Botaniska Notiser 1952:366-410.
Simonsen, R. (1979). The diatom system: ideas on phylogeny. Bacillaria 2: 9-71.
Simonsen, R. (1987). Atlas and Catalogue of the Diatom Types of Friedrich Hustedt. J. Cramer, Berlin & Stuttgart 1: 525 pp.
Links & ID's
Index Nominum Algarum (INA)
California Academy of Sciences (CAS)
North American Diatom Ecological Database (NADED)
NADED ID: 10003
Autecology Discussion
When found in abundance, Aulacoseira canadensis is associated with freshwater lacustrine deposits of Miocene age, and none of the preserved material that we have examined contains protoplasm or plastids (Bahls et al. 2009). We therefore conclude that this taxon is probably extinct. Geological processes have redistributed fossil material throughout much of the interior Northwest (map), where occasional cells may appear in a wide variety of habitats.
Images
Distribution of Aulacoseira canadensis in western North America. "Q" marks the type locality at Quesnel, British Columbia. Other letters represent known fossil deposits.
Credit/Source: Bahls et al. 2009.