Tabellaria

Tabellaria_fenestrata

Tabellaria is a genus of diatoms ( Bacillariophyta ) with about 10 species occurring in freshwater and seawater.

Features

Tabellaria unbranched forms threads tabular cells, which are connected only at the corners through small gelatinous cushion. The colonies form a zigzag ribbon or star-shaped. The individual cells have the typical diatom shell of two counters. The tray is rectangular, rod-shaped in valve view, in side view, with the center and the ends are thickened. The cells have a central nucleus and a plurality of disc-shaped plastids, which are colored by fucoxanthin golden brown. The size of the cells is 6-130 microns.

Asexual reproduction is carried out by the typical division of diatoms, which leads to the reduction of the cells. The colonies can then be broken. Sexual reproduction is not known of the genus. The formation of resting cells from vegetative cells is known.

Occurrence

Tabellaria occurs in stagnant water in the sediment, aquatic plants and plankton. In summer and autumn, the genus may constitute the dominant form of plankton. The individual species prefer warm nutrient-rich or nutrient-poor, cool locations.

Documents

• K.-H. Linne von Berg, K. Hoef -Emden, B. Marin, M. Melkonian: The Cosmos algae leader. The main freshwater algae under the microscope. Kosmos, Stuttgart 2004, pp. 252, ISBN 3-440-09719-6