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Taxonomy, morphology and ultrastructure of the diatom genus Mastogloia from areas affected by Caulerpa racemosa and Caulerpa taxifolia (Adriatic Sea coast, Croatia)

We present identification and ultrastructural observation on frustular features on Mastogloia taxa found on three locations in south Adriatic Sea: Stari Grad Bay on Island of Hvar, Gonoturska Bay on Island of Mljet, and Orsula near Dubrovnik. Studied samples were taken monthly during 2009 and 2010 at the depth from 5m to 15m. The study is made in the framework of a research project dealing with exotic seaweeds invasion of Caulerpa racemosa and Caulerpa taxifolia in the Croatian part of southern Adriatic Sea. The genus Mastogloia includes a number of species living as epiphytes on seaweeds and seagrasses, together with other biraphid (i.e. Diploneis, Amphora) and monoraphid genera (i.e. Cocconeis, Achnanthes). The genus Mastogloia is highly biodiversified and quantitively significant in benthic communities. The detachment and cleaning of epiphytic diatoms have been obtained by treating macrophytes with acids and then washing with distilled water. Using light and scanning electron microscopy we detail the frustular morphology of different Mastogloia taxa. The frustular morphology within the genus Mastogloia has been observed and described by many authors since 1856 when Thwaites established this genus. The biodiversity of this genus is large with 300 published taxa. In our material more than 25 species of Mastogloia genus have been found, including: M. binotata (Grunow) Cleve, M. fimbriata (Brightwell) Cleve, M. crucicula (Grunow) Cleve, M. ovalis A. Schmidt, M. cuneata (Meister) Simonsen, M. splendida (Gregory) Cleve, M. erythraea Grunow, M. inaequalis Cleve, M. ovulum Hustedt, M. pusilla Grunow, and M. pumila (Grunow) Cleve. Preliminary results of assemblages of benthic diatoms revealed that the genus Mastogloia is very abundant and species-rich at the Adriatic Sea coast.

Diatom; Mastogloia; Caulerpa; Adriatic Sea; Taxonomy; Morphology

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