Home / Diatoms / Pennate / Unicells / Monoraphes/ Achnanthidium
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Name derivation:
Classification:
Achnanthidium Kützing 1844 , at least 26 species are described. Order Achnanthales; Family Achnanthaceae
Morphology:
Small monoraphe unicells usually attached with a mucilaginous stalk to a substrate. Have asymmetry in transapical axis (flexed). Length < 30 µm, width up to 5 µm.
Similar genera:
Achnanthes, where Achnanthidium was placed for awhile then re-established as a separate genus.
Habitat:
Freshwater streams, rivers and lakes, and marine shallow benthos. Some species are tolerant of polluted waters, including acid mine drainage streams. A. minutissimum in particular tolerates a wide range in conductivity (10 up to >1000 µS cm^-1), pH (3 to > 9), and phosphate (from nearly none to > 1000 µg L^-1) (Ponader and Potapova 2007).
References:
Ponader, K.C., and M.G. Potapova 2007. diatoms from the genus Achnanthidium in flowing waters of the Appalachian Mountains (North America): Ecology, distribution and taxonomic notes. Limnologica 37 (2007) 227–241