Licmophora belgicae Peragallo

Al-Handal, Adil Y., Torstensson, Anders & Wulff, Angela, 2022, Revisiting Potter Cove, King George Island, Antarctica, 12 years later: new observations of marine benthic diatoms, Botanica Marina (Warsaw, Poland) 65 (2), pp. 81-103 : 88

Licmophora belgicae Peragallo ( Figures 31, 32 )

Literature: (Cremer et al. 2003, p. 95, fig. 97; Simonsen 1992, p. 28, pl. 24, figs. 1–5, both as L. decora ).

Description: Length 72–110 µm, width 13–22 µm, striae 11– 15 in 10 µm.

Remarks: This species has been previously reported from Potter Cove as L. decora Heiden (Al-Handal and Wulff 2008a, page 54, figures 7, 9). According to Hustedt (1958), L. decora is a synonym for L. belgicae , which was first described by M. Peragallo (1921). The name L. decora , however, is still widely used in recent literature.

Ecology and distribution: Although this species is considered epiphytic, it has not been found on any of the several macrophytes examined from Potter Cove but was always found in sediment samples. Widely distributed in Antarctica ( Fernandez et al. 2014) . Frequent in Potter Cove.

Licmophora gracilis (Ehrenberg) Grunow ( Figure 33 ) Literature: (Cremer et al. 2003, p. 95, figs. 98, 99; Poulin et al. 1984b, p. 280, figs. 31–34; Witkowski et al. 2000, p. 65, pl. 18, figs. 12–18, pl. 19, figs. 7–15).

Description: Length 22–28 µm, width 4–6 µm, striae 20–24 in 10 µm.

Remarks: Although this species may reach 120 µm length (Witkowski et al. 2000), only smaller specimens were observed in the present study.

Ecology and distribution: A widely distributed marine epiphytic species, found in the Arctic and in several locations in Antarctica ( Fernandez et al. 2014) . Frequent in Potter Cove.

Figures

Figures 27–38: Marine benthic diatoms in Potter Cove, King George Island, Antarctica, summer 2015. (27) Corethron pennatum. (28) Fragilaria striatula. (29) Synedropsis sp. (30) Licmophora antarctica. (31–32) Licmophora belgicae. (33) Licmophora gracilis. (34) Licmophora luxuriosa. (35) Thalassionema nitzschioides. (36) Rhabdonema arcuatum. (37, 38) Entopyla ocellata.