Tiny Organisms in Aquatic Habitats

Desmids –
 Archaeplastida (Part) 

Observations on Closterium costatum

Gallery Prof. Rupert Lenzenweger

Position in the EOL taxonomic tree. Please click on the tree view below to access EOL (Encyclopedia of Life).

Closterium costatum Corda ex Ralfs 1848

Most likely ID: n.a.

Basionym: n.a.

Add’l Synonyms: Closterium crassestriatum W.Archer 1879
                               Arthrodia costata (Ralfs) Kuntze 1891
                               Closterium varzinense J.Sampaio 1922
                               Closterium costatum var. multinucleatum Deflandre 1925
                               Closterium costatum f. sigmoideum Corillion ????

Closterium costatum original graphic by Prof. Lenzenweger
Closterium costatum

Description: The cells are (6)–7–10–(11) times longer than they are wide, straight in the middle segment, slightly curved towards the cell ends. These are broadly rounded and have a cap-like shape due to a bulging wall thickening, end vacuoles with several crystals. The cell wall has belt bands and clear, wide-set ribs. Both the different shape of the cell ends and the cell wall structure are the main distinguishing features from the morphologically very similar Closterium striolatum.

Dimension: Length (200)–250–400–(550) µm, width (25)–30–45–(60) µm.

Occurrence:  Similar to Closterium striolatum, it is widespread in wet meadows, fens, and shore areas of lakes and ponds.

Left: Original graphic by Prof. Lenzenweger.
Right: Photomicrograph by Prof. Lenzenweger. For microphotography, the microscope illumination was adjusted in such a way that as many features as possible that are important for species identification are prominently displayed.

Copyright by Prof. Rupert Lenzenweger, Ried im Innkreis, Austria.

Curvature Index Closteriaceae

Characteristic data for the curvature according to Coesel & Meesters 2023

Curvature class: “(very) slightly curved” but not straight

Curvature index: 0.050–0.268

© Wolfgang Bettighofer,
images under Creative Commons License V 3.0 (CC BY-NC-SA).
For permission to use of (high resolution) images please contact postmaster@protisten.de.

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