New genera and new species of Catenulaceae (Bacillariophyta) from Coral Reef habitat of two Indonesia islands-Bawean and Sulawesi-A morphological approach

PhytoKeys. 2024 Nov 1:248:263-291. doi: 10.3897/phytokeys.248.131839. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

Indonesia is listed as a region with high marine biodiversity, especially when considering the three large tropical ecosystems: seagrass beds, mangroves and coral reefs. It is likely that the biodiversity of diatoms in this area is also high. Samples for this research were taken from the remote area of Bawean Island and Tomini Gulf in Central Sulawesi. In this research, we explored marine benthic diatoms from coral reef areas and presented two new genera: Paracatenula and Wallaceago, and seven new species: Paracatenulaporostriata sp. nov., Wallaceagoporostriatus sp. nov., Catenulaboyanensis sp. nov., C.komodensis sp. nov., C.decusa sp. nov., C.densestriata sp. nov., and Catenulopsisbaweana sp. nov. The new genus Paracatenula is characterized by its perforated cingulum, and the genus Wallaceago is distinguished by its proximal and apical raphe ends bent to the ventral side and the presence of a stauros in the mantle.

Keywords: Biodiversity hotspot; coastal habitats; diatom; epipsammic; taxonomy.

Grants and funding

This work was partly supported by the International Society for Diatom Research for the funding through Luc Ector Early Career Award 2023 and this publication is Co-financed by the Minister of Science under the Regional Excellence Initiative Program for 2024-2027 (RID/SP/0045/2024/01).