Bennettella R.W.Holmes, 1985

Holotype species: Bennettella ceticola (E.W.Nelson) R.W.Holmes

Original publication and holotype designation: Holmes, R.W. (1985). The morphology of diatoms epizoic on cetaceans and their transfer from Cocconeis to two new genera, Bennettella and Epipellis. British Phycological Journal 20(1): 43-57, 49 figs.

Request PDF

Description: Cells solitary, epizooic, heterovalvar. Cingulum not punctate. Valves elliptical. One valve with a raphe-sternum, the other lacking a raphe but with a corresponding rapheless sternum ("pseudoraphe"). Araphid valve strongly convex. Sternum narrow, expanded in the central region. Striae alveolate: outer surface punctate, inner surface apunctate, single internal opening of alveolus located along valve margin. Puncta quadra- or triseriate near margin; triseriate, sometimes biseriate near sternum. Raphe-bearing valve concave. Puncta biseriate, valve margin alveolate. Raphe slightly sigmoid. Stauros present, originating somewhat poleward from central raphe endings, then directed toward the valve margin. External bifurcate terminal fissure at both poles. Except at the poles, the walls on either side of the raphe slit rise vertically along the pervalvar axis, reaching a maximum height in the region of the central nodule, spreading laterally in the pervalvar plane and then curving downward toward the interior surface of the valve. Maximum lateral expansion of the raphe walls in the central area where they fuse with the stauros. Hyaline zone, sometimes intermittently punctate, located near margin. This genus has only been found growing on the skin of cetaceans from both hemispheres. Bennettella bears a superficial resemblance to Cocconeis and Epipelis but differs from the latter genera in the configuration of the raphe and the structure of the striae on the araphid valve. Emended by Ferrario, Cefarelli & Romero in Ferrario et al. (2018).

Information contributed by: M. C. Amspoker. The most recent alteration to this page was made on 2022-09-22 by M.D. Guiry.

Taxonomic status: This name is of an entity that is currently accepted taxonomically.

Gender: This genus name is currently treated as feminine.

Loading names...
Loading notes...
Loading common names...
Loading references...

Verification of Data
Users are responsible for verifying the accuracy of information before use, as noted on the website Content page.

Contributors
Some of the descriptions included in AlgaeBase were originally from the unpublished Encyclopedia of Algal Genera, organised in the 1990s by Dr Bruce Parker on behalf of the Phycological Society of America (PSA) and intended to be published in CD format. These AlgaeBase descriptions are now being continually updated, and each current contributor is identified above. The PSA and AlgaeBase warmly acknowledge the generosity of all past and present contributors and particularly the work of Dr Parker.

Descriptions of chrysophyte genera were subsequently published in J. Kristiansen & H.R. Preisig (eds.). 2001. Encyclopedia of Chrysophyte Genera. Bibliotheca Phycologica 110: 1-260.

Linking to this page: https://www.algaebase.org/search/genus/detail/?genus_id=46658

Citing AlgaeBase
Cite this record as:
M.D. Guiry in Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 22 September 2022. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. https://www.algaebase.org; searched on 28 March 2024

 
Currently in AlgaeBase: