An evaluation of selected Neidium species from the Antarctic Region

• Published in: Diatom Research
• Main Authors: Hamilton, P. B., De Haan, M., Kopalová, K. (Kateřina), Zidarova, R., Van de Vijver, B.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2014
• Subjects: Bacillariophyta; biogeography; Neidium; Antarc*; Antarctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1080/0269249X.2013.822020; http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0237433

The presentation of three distinct Neidium taxa from the sub-Antarctic and Maritime Antarctic Region after examining more than 1500 samples from a broad variety of aquatic and terrestrial habitats and microhabitats suggests that taxa representing the genus Neidium are not only quite rare in these regions, but that the three species also represent well-defined biogeographical distributions. Neidium nyvltii sp. nov., N. antarcticum sp. nov. and N. aubertii are characterized by linear to linear-lanceolate valves with rostrate to capitate apices, a single prominent longitudinal canal along the valve margins and lacinia at the distal raphe fissures. There is some evidence of parallel similarities in valve forms between the polar northern Hemisphere and the polar Southern Hemisphere. The significance of this parallelism is yet to be determined.