Amphora spectabilis Gregory (1857: 516)

Al-Handal, Adil Y., Thomas, Evan W. & Pennesi, Chiara, 2018, Marine benthic diatoms in the newly discovered coral reefs, off Basra coast, Southern Iraq, Phytotaxa 372 (2), pp. 111-152 : 137

Amphora spectabilis Gregory (1857: 516) ( Fig. 89 )

References: Hendey, 1964, pl. 28, figs 8, 9; Desikachary 1988, pl. 425, figs 1,4–6; Witkowski et al. 2000, p. 150, pl. 167, figs 25–27; Levkov, 2009: p. 265, Pl. 114, figs 1–5; Pl. 252, figs 1–5.

Features: Length 60–76 μm, width 12–14 μm, striae 8–10 in 10 μm on the dorsal side, 12–14 in 10 μm on the ventral side.

Description: Valves dorsiventral, linear to semi-elliptic with broadly rounded, ventrally bent apices. Dorsal margin weakly convex to straight, ventral margin straight. Axial area strongly arched, biarcuate, central area narrow on the dorsal side and broader on the ventral side. Raphe strongly arched with indistinct proximal pores. Dorsal striae distinct, bifurcated near the raphe, particularly at the middle.

Remarks: Smaller valve with slightly higher striae density were observed.

Ecology and Distribution: Widely distributed marine species. Previously reported from the Gulf ( Hendey 1970, Al-Yamani & Saburova 2011). Frequent in Basra corals.

Figures

FIGURES 75–90. Marine benthic diatoms in coral reefs off Basra. Figs 75, 76. Amphora grevilleana, Figs 77, 78. Amphora janischii, Figs 79, 80. Amphora maletracta var. constricta, Fig. 81. Amphora marina, Fig. 82. Amphora mexicana, Figs 83, 84. Amphora ocellata, Figs 85,86. Tetramphora ostrearia, Figs 87,88. Tetramphora rhombica, Fig. 89. Amphora spectabilis, Fig. 90. Amphora sp.