Nitzschia sociabilis

Hustedt 1957      Category: Nitzschioid
BASIONYM: Nitzschia sociabilis Hustedt 1957

Nitzschia sinuata var. tabellaria

 

Nupela carolina
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LM scalebar = 10 µm = 80 pixels.

Observations

Contributor: Kalina Manoylov - October 2011
Length Range: 22.4-49.5 µm
Width Range: 3.5-4.5 µm
Striae in 10 µm: > 35

Description

Frustules are lightly silicified. In girdle view, valves are sigmoid and narrow. Girdle bands are absent. Valves are lanceolate to rhomboid with sharp apices. Striae are not resolvable with light microscopy. The fibulae are irregularly spaced and number 8-11 in 10 µm. Fibulae, however, are not widely spaced at the central part of the valve.

Original Description

Basionym: Nitzschia sociabilis
Author: Hustedt 1957
Length Range: 20-40 µm
Width Range: 3-4 µm
Striae in 10 µm:

Original Description

German: Schalen typisch lanzettlich mit spitzen, nicht vorgezogenen Enden, 20-40 µm, lang, 3-4 µm breit. Kiel stark exzentrisch, Kielpunckte durchschnittlich etwa 10 in 10 µm, mehr oder weniger unregelmäßig gestellt, transapikal strichförmig. Struktur äußerst zart, bisher nicht aufgelöst. Abb.91-94.

Latin: Valvae lanceolatae apicibus acutis non protractis, 20-40 µm longae, 3-4 µm latae. Carina valde excentrica punctis carinalibus plus minusvae 10 in 10 µm, transapicaliter elongatis, irregulariter positis. Structura delicatissima, striae transapicales inconspicuae.

Original Images

Cite This Page:
Manoylov, K. (2011). Nitzschia sociabilis. In Diatoms of the United States. Retrieved May 24, 2013, from http://westerndiatoms.colorado.edu/taxa/species/nitzschia_sociabilis

Species: Nitzschia sociabilis

Contributor: Kalina Manoylov

Reviewer: Marina Potapova

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Image Credit: Kalina Manoylov, Paul Hamilton

  1. Apices nearly apiculate
  2. Fibulae distinct, irregularly spaced
  3. Frustules sigmoid (in girdle view)
  4. Longitudinal line appears to connect fibulae

Frustules are lightly silicified and sigmoid in girdle view. Valves are rhomboid-lanceolate and have sharp apices. Striae are not resolvable in LM. Fibulae are irregularly spaced. A gap between fibulae is absent in the central valve. A longitudinal line appears to connect fibulae.

Compare

Nitzschia sociabilis readily identified by the shape of the valve, especially the sharp apices.

Citations

Hustedt, F. (1957). Die Diatomeenflora des Flußsystems der Weser im Gebiet der Hansestadt Bremen. Abhandlungen des Naturwissenschaftlichen Verein zu Bremen 34(3):181-440.

Links & ID's

Index Nominum Algarum (INA)

Original INA

California Academy of Sciences (CAS)

Nitzschia sociabilis CAS

North American Diatom Ecological Database (NADED)

NADED ID: 48225

Autecology Discussion

Habits

Size Range

101-1000 µm3 (ie Amphora veneta)

Motility

highly motile (e.g. a large cell like Surirella AND extensive raphe)

Attachment

unattached
other (e.g. tubes or thallose)

Habitat

benthic

Colony

solitary

EMAP Assessment

Sampling for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) western Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) study was completed during the years 2000-2004 (see citations at bottom of this page). Streams and rivers in 12 western states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming). Over 1200 sites on streams and rivers in 12 western states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming) were selected for sampling based on a stratified randomized design. This type of design insures that ecological resources are sampled in proportion to their actual geographical presence. Stratified randomized design also allows for estimates of stream length with a known confidence in several “condition classes” (good or least-disturbed, intermediately-disturbed, and poor or most-disturbed) for biotic condition, chemistry and habitat.

EMAP Distribution

Nitzschia sociabilis

Distribution

The distribution map represents the relative abundance of this Nitzschia sociabilis in the western EMAP study. Relative abundance is a measure of the proportion of cells of this species based on a "fixed count" of 300 total diatom cells counted and identified. Each of the western EMAP sample sites is shown, either with a black dot for sites where Nitzschia sociabilis was not recorded, or with a red circle indicating the relative abundance of Nitzschia sociabilis.

Note that the size of the proportional symbols varies between species to help show both abundant and rare species.

Scale for the map to the left

EMAP Response Plots

Nitzschia sociabilis

Responses

The 15 response plots show an environmental variable (x axis) against the relative abundance (y axis) of Nitzschia sociabilis from all the stream reaches where it was present. Note that the relative abundance scale is the same on each plot. Explanation of each environmental variable and units are as follows:

ELEVATION = stream reach elevation (meters)
STRAHLER = distribution plot of the Strahler Stream Order
SLOPE = stream reach gradient (degrees)
W1_HALL = an index that is a measure of streamside (riparian) human activity that ranges from 0 - 10, with a value of 0 indicating of minimal disturbance to a value of 10 indicating severe disturbance.
PHSTVL = pH measured in a sealed syringe sample (pH units)
log_COND = log concentration of specific conductivity (µS/cm)
log_PTL = log concentration of total phosphorus (µg/L)
log_NO3 = log concentration of nitrate (µeq/L)
log_DOC = log concentration of dissolved organic carbon (mg/L)
log_SIO2 = log concentration of silicon (mg/L)
log_NA = log concentration of sodium (µeq/L)
log_HCO3 = log concentration of the bicarbonate ion (µeq/L)
EMBED = percent of the stream substrate that is embedded by sand and fine sediment
log_TURBIDITY = log of turbidity, a measure of cloudiness of water, in nephelometric turbidity units (NTU).
DISTOT = an index of total human disturbance in the watershed that ranges from 1 - 100, with a value of 0 indicating of minimal disturbance to a value of 100 indicating severe disturbance.

EMAP citations

Results are published in:

Johnson, T., Hermann, K., Spaulding, S., Beyea, B., Theel, C., Sada, R., Bollman, W., Bowman, J., Larsen, A., Vining, K., Ostermiller, J., Petersen, D. Hargett, E. and Zumberge, J. (2009). An ecological assessment of USEPA Region 8 streams and rivers. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 Report, 178 p.

Stoddard, J. L., Peck, D. V., Olsen, A. R., Larsen, D. P., Van Sickle, J., Hawkins, C. P., Hughes, R. M., Whittier, T. R., Lomnicky, G. A., Herlihy, A. T., Kaufman, P. R., Peterson, S. A., Ringold, P. L., Paulsen, S. G., and Blair, R. (2005). Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) western streams and rivers statistical summary. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Report 620/R-05/006, 1,762 p.

Stoddard, J. L., Peck, D. V., Paulsen, S. G., Van Sickle, J., Hawkins, C. P., Herlihy, A. T., Hughes, R. M., Kaufman, P. R., Larsen, D. P., Lomnicky, G. A., Olsen, A. R., Peterson, S. A., Ringold, P. L., and Whittier, T. R. (2005). An ecological assessment of western streams and rivers. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Report 620/R-05/005, 49 p.