Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Type: Article
Published: 2018-06-06
Page range: 229–238
Abstract views: 27
PDF downloaded: 1

Gomphosphenia plenkoviciae sp. nov. A new species from Crveno jezero, Croatia

University of Zagreb, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Rooseveltov trg 6, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
University of Zagreb, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Rooseveltov trg 6, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
University of Rijeka, Department of Physics and Center for Micro- and Nanosciences and Technologies, Ulica Radmile Matejčić 2, HR-1000 Rijeka, Croatia
University of Zagreb, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Rooseveltov trg 6, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
ADIPA - Society for Croatian Natural History diversity research & conservation, Orehovečki ogranak 37, HR-10040 Zagreb, Croatia
Institute of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Arhimedova 3, 1000 Skopje, R. Macedonia
Gomphosphenia diatom new species sinkhole Crveno jezero Croatia Algae

Abstract

Crveno jezero (Red Lake) is one of the largest karstic sinkhole lakes in the Europe. Diatom flora of this lake was unknown due to difficulties in collecting samples. Recently, samples were collected by speleodivers in the frame of systematical natural sciences research, during the cave diving expedition “Crveno jezero 2017” and observations revealed the existence of a new species, Gomphosphenia plenkoviciae Gligora Udovič & Žutinić sp. nov. The species is described herein as new to science based on light and scanning electron microscopy. Gomphosphenia plenkoviciae is characterized by having narrowly clavate to linear valves, which are slightly heteropolar in larger specimens to clavate in smaller specimens, thus differing from the closest taxon by the valve outline and shape of the central area. Smaller valves of G. plenkoviciae differ from other small-sized Gomphosphenia species by valve outline, striae morphology and the shape of axial and central areas.