Amphora graeffeana Hendey (1973: 317)

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 : 134

Amphora graeffeana Hendey (1973: 317) ( Figs 73, 74 )

References: Hendey 1973, p. 317, figs 12–19; Schoemann & Archibald, 1986, p. 15, figs 15–19; Wachinka & Gaiser 2007, p. 416, fig. 108.

Features: Length 65–90 μm, width 10–15 μm, striae 14–16 in 10 μm (dorsal).

Description: valves dorsiventral with subacute apices. Dorsal margin convex, ventral margin straight, slightly inflated in the middle. Axial area widens towards the center, central area undistinguished from the axial area. Raphe biarcuate and close to the ventral margin.

Remarks: The illustrations presented by Witkowski et al. (2000, pl. 166, fig. 24, pl. 172, figs 6–9) for this species looks rather different from the original description. In Amphora graeffeana , central area is narrow and only slightly widened near the center while these images have a central area very wide, extending beyond central area. Striae also appear rather coarser.

Ecology and Distribution: A widespread marine species. Previously reported from the Gulf ( Simonsen 1974; Al-Yamani & Saburova 2011). Frequent in Basra corals .

Figures

FIGURES 62–74. Marine benthic diatoms in coral reefs off Basra.Fig. 62. Pleurosigma diverse-striatum, Fig. 63. Pleurosigma strigosum, Figs 64, 65. Plagiotropis lepidoptera, Fig. 66. Stauroneis sp., Fig. 67. Amphora arcuata, Fig. 68. Amphora arenaria, Fig. 69. Amphora cf. commutata, Fig. 70. Amphora cingulata, Fig. 71. Halamphora coffeaeformis, Fig. 72. Halamphora costata, Figs 73,74. Amphora graeffeana.