Extended Observation Description on Melosira lineata
Melosira lineata (Roth) Guiry 2019
Morphological Details of Melosira lineata
The species is characterized by cylindrical to subspherical cell shape. The cell groups form filaments that are held together by mucilaginous pads. The cells characteristically associate in groups of two or three and are connected by mantle structures called “cingula”.

Fig. 1: Filament of Melosira lineata. Two groups of 3 cells each. Scale bar indicates 25 µm (right).
Sampling location: Baltic Sea, Kieler Förde, Kiel Fjord (Germany), Latitude: 54.3894126, Longitude: 10.1749055

Fig. 2: Upper left inset: The focal plane is at the chloroplasts, which line the frustule lying parietal (arrow). Groups of 2 cells each. Scale bar indicates 50 µm.
Main image: The cingula (double arrowhead) forming a cylindrical mantle connect two or three cells. These coats enclose the valves of the individual cells. The ornamentation of the cingula differs significantly from that of the valves (double headed arrow). Scale bar of main image indicates 25 µm.
The sexual reproduction of Melosira lineata
The sexual reproduction of centric diatoms (Centrales) is characterized by oogamy. In Melosira, the spermatozoids are formed in narrower, the oogonia in broader filaments. After meiosis, four mobile spermatozoa with one flagellum develop in the male gamete mother cells (antheridia), in each of the oogonia three meiotic nuclei collapse and only one egg cell capable of fertilization remains.
(After Krammer, K. and van den Hoek, C.)

Fig. 3: Spermatozoids: We can see flagella (arrow) and their golden-brown chloroplast (double arrowhead, color due to the accessory dye fucoxanthin) at the posterior end of each spermatozoid (arrowhead).
Scale bar indicates 50 µm.
© 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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striolatum
teliferum
pseudopyramidatum
pyramidatum
scabrum
capitulum
forficulatum
oligacanthum
var. incisum
chlamydosporum
arcuatum
var. subavicula
truncata
var. quadrata
rubescens
venustum
var. excavatum
ralfsii
var. montanum
ralfsii
digitus
acerosum
intermedium
dissiliens
kuetzingii
ralfsii
var. hybridum
aureus
botrytis
quadratum
quadrum
crassa
digitus
var. lamellosum
digitus
var. latum
oblongum
interruptum
spec.
spec.
kinahanii
spec.
polymorphum
var. polymorphum
brebissonii
rotata
swartzii
antilopaeum
neosinuosum
thomasiana
var. notata
forficulatum
var. verrucosum
armatum
oblongum
rhomboidale
furcatum
uncinatum
hirsutum
cucurbitinum
minor
borreri
americana
coeseli
apiculata
simplicius
crassum
simonyi
var. sparsiaculeatum
caelatum
crux-melitensis
ehrenbergii
didelta
spongiosum
var. perbifidum
denticulata
dejectus
conspersum
papillifera
komarekii
arboricola
venustum
var. excavatum
pulchellum
tripus
subspicatus
convergens
nostochinearum
arcuata
grevillei
laevis
var. laevis
reticulatum
viridis
cystozygote
reinhardtii
lacustris
speculum
New items
striolatum
teliferum
pseudopyramidatum
pyramidatum
scabrum
capitulum
forficulatum
oligacanthum
var. incisum
chlamydosporum
arcuatum
var. subavicula
truncata
var. quadrata
rubescens
venustum
var. excavatum
ralfsii
var. montanum
ralfsii
digitus
acerosum
intermedium
dissiliens
kuetzingii
ralfsii
var. hybridum
aureus
botrytis
quadratum
quadrum
crassa
digitus
var. lamellosum
digitus
var. latum
oblongum
interruptum
spec.
spec.
kinahanii
spec.
polymorphum
var. polymorphum
brebissonii
rotata
swartzii
antilopaeum
neosinuosum
thomasiana
var. notata
forficulatum
var. verrucosum
armatum
oblongum
rhomboidale
furcatum
uncinatum
hirsutum
cucurbitinum
minor
borreri
americana
coeseli
apiculata
simplicius
crassum
simonyi
var. sparsiaculeatum
caelatum
crux-melitensis
ehrenbergii
didelta
spongiosum
var. perbifidum
denticulata
dejectus
conspersum
papillifera
komarekii
arboricola
venustum
var. excavatum
pulchellum
tripus
subspicatus
convergens
nostochinearum
arcuata
grevillei
laevis
var. laevis
reticulatum
viridis
cystozygote
reinhardtii
lacustris
speculum