Fragilariaceae (Bacillariophyta) in high altitude wetlands of Catamarca (Argentina)

Abstract

Three high mountain wetlands were studied in the Catamarca Province, Argentina, as part of a larger study focusing on high mountain waterbodies in the Argentinian Andes. In this contribution we present species in the group of small Fragilariaceae found so far in: Laguna Diamante (hiperhaline), Laguna Salitre (fresh) and Laguna Negra (mesohaline). The species belong to the genera Staurosira, Staurosirella and Pseudostaurosira. Three species, Staurosirella galanensis, S. salitrensis and Pseudostaurosira ferrarioae are new to science, which are herein described, illustrated and compared to morphologically similar taxa. S. galanensis is smaller and more rhomboidal than the other cruciform species of the genus, while S. salitrensis is smaller and less silicified than closely related species. Pseudostaurosira ferrarioae is distinguished from similar taxa especially by its well developed apical pore fields. The other representatives of the family found in these sites were Staurosira binodis, which is a new record for the Catamarca Province, Pseudostaurosira altiplanensis, cited here for the first time for Argentina and P. aff. polonica.