Diversity of Silica-Scaled Chrysophytes (Stramenopiles: Chrysophyceae) from Indonesian Papua

Abstract

The silica-scaled chrysophyte flora from Indonesian Papua was investigated by means of electron microscopy. A total of twenty-four taxa were recorded, including five belonging to Paraphysomonas, one to Chrysosphaerella, one to Spiniferomonas, fifteen to Mallomonas and two to Synura. Thirteen taxa were recorded for the first time in Indonesia. Comparison of the species composition of silica-scaled chrysophytes from different parts of the Island of New Guinea shows significant differences. A “living fossil” was discovered, Mallomonas preisigii, which was described previously from Eocene deposits in Northern Canada. Although the scales from Papua slightly differ from those of the fossil one, we believe they belong to the same morphospecies. Mallomonas preisigii can be considered as a paleoendemic species.

Diversity of Silica-Scaled Chrysophytes of Two Tropical Islands: Phu Quoc and Con Son (Viet Nam)

“…hemiradia . Very similar scales were reported in Indonesian Papua ([ 64 ], Figure 2 B,C). At the time of collection, the pH was 5.0, the temperature was 31 °C and the specific conductance was 1200 μS cm −1 .…”

“…The spine is 3.28–3.95 µm long, gently tapering from a wide bulbous base to an oblique dull pointed tip. This taxon has previously been recorded in the United Kingdom, Switzerland [ 3 ], Viet Nam [ 39 ] and Indonesia [ 64 ]. At the time of collection, the pH was 6.3, the temperature was 32 °C and the specific conductance was 186 μS cm −1 .…”

“…We studied the diversity of silica-scaled chrysophytes in the island of Java and identified only 19 taxa, including the new species Chrysosphaerella nichollsii Kapustin & Gusev [ 71 ]. In Indonesian Papua, we recorded 24 taxa, including a “living fossil”, Mallomonas preisigii Siver [ 64 ], and described a new species, Mallomonas papuensis Kapustin, Gusev & Kulikovskiy [ 72 ]. Interestingly, both species were discovered in bog pools in the highlands [ 64 , 72 ].…”

“…In Indonesian Papua, we recorded 24 taxa, including a “living fossil”, Mallomonas preisigii Siver [ 64 ], and described a new species, Mallomonas papuensis Kapustin, Gusev & Kulikovskiy [ 72 ]. Interestingly, both species were discovered in bog pools in the highlands [ 64 , 72 ]. In the neighboring area of Papua New Guinea, Vyverman & Cronberg [ 73 ] identified only 20 taxa, without reporting any novel taxa.…”

“…Here, we present several TEM images of this very rare taxon (see Figure 3 E–G). Three more species described in Viet Nam, Mallomonas cattiensis , M. spinosa Gusev and M. furtiva , with a wide distribution in the country [ 37 , 40 , 78 , 79 , 80 ], have already been found elsewhere—the first in Papua New Guinea [ 73 ] (identified as M. morrisonensis ) and Indonesia [ 71 ], the second in China [ 20 ] and Indonesia [ 71 ] and the third in the Indonesian part of Papua New Guinea [ 64 ] and Malaysia [ 13 ].…”