Skeletonema (Bacillariophyceae) in Indian waters: A reappraisal

Abstract

The planktonic diatom genus Skeletonema is common in Indian coastal waters. Recent taxonomic studies have uncovered high diversity in this genus, and it is expected that several species occur also in the highly diverse marine habitats along the Indian coastline. In the present study, material of a culture raised from a specimen isolated from a water sample taken from Goa and material from two Lugol fixed samples, one from the Bay of Bengal and one from the Arabian Sea, were examined. Samples were examined in LM and SEM. The culture strain from Goa was also characterized using its LSU rDNA sequence. Results revealed that the above strain belongs to S. costatum sensu stricto. The sample from the Bay of Bengal contained S. grevillei and the sample from the Arabian Sea, S. tropicum