Home / Diatoms / Pennate / Unicells / Biraphes / Symmetric / Amphiprora
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Name derivation:
Classification:
Amphiprora Ehrenberg 1843; 28 of 229 species descriptions are currently recognized taxonomically (Guiry and Guiry 2014). Order Naviculales; Family Amphipleuraceae Entomoneis Ehrenberg 1845 is a synonym.
Morphology:
Some species are unicellular and linked together in chains. Frustules constrict around the middle of chains. Twisted figure eight patterns are common for some species. Girdle structures have multiple narrow bands and a junction line which is absent of sinuous. The median line is commonly used to distinguish between species. A. gigantea has a sigmoidal median line, while A. alata has a straight one.
Similar genera:
Habitat:
Marine plankton
References:
Ehrenberg, C. G. (1843). Verbreitung und Einfluss des mikroskopischen Lebens in Süd-und Nord-Amerika. Abhandlungen der Königlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin 1841: 291-466, pls 1-4. Ehrenberg, C. G. (1845). Vorläufige zweite Mettheilung über die weitere Erkenntnifs der Beziehungen des kleinsten organischen Lebens zu den vulkanischen Massen der Erde.  Bericht über die zur Bekanntmachung geeigneten Verhandlungen der Königlich-Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin 1845: 133-157. Guiry, M.D. and G.M. Guiry 2014. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. http://www.algaebase.org; searched on 19 December 2012.