engleski

Discoveries of new diatom taxa associated with loggerhead sea turtles in the Adriatic Sea

There is a growing scientific interest in epibiotic communities on sea turtles. A broad array of animals and macroalgae are known to thrive successfully as macro-epibionts on sea turtle body surfaces. Together with these macro- organisms, sea turtles also host unique micro- epibiotic diatom communities composed of a large number of, often recently newly-described, genera such as Chelonicola, Poulinea and Medlinella. During a survey of the diatom flora associated with the carapaces of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) from the Adriatic Sea, a diverse diatom assemblage was observed composed of several Diploneis, Fallacia and Amphora taxa. Several other taxa could initially not be identified even on genus level, confirming the special nature of the epibiotic diatom flora found on loggerheads. The poster illustrates and discusses three of these unknown taxa. A first taxon, belonging to the monoraphid diatoms presents a rapheless valve characterized by the presence of a large siliceous crest covering part of the valve margin, a rather simple raphe with bent terminal fissures and straight, simple central endings and striae composed of two large areolae, separated by a broad hyaline plate and covered externally by porous hymenes. Comparison with achnanthoid genera such as Madinithidium yielded both clear similarities but also distinct differences. The second taxon shows similarities to the members of the canal-raphe bearing genera such as Rhopalodia based on the presence of an eccentric raphe, distinct fibulae and a dorsiventral valve outline. Finally, the third taxon represents a new Catenula species, a small amphoroid genus with only marginal striae, a very simple raphe structure and non-perforated, narrow girdle bands.

diatoms, new taxa, loggerhead sea turtles

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