Leptothoe spongobia

Taxonavigation

Taxonavigation: Synechococcales
Prokaryota Superregnum: Bacteria Group: Terrabacteria group Group: Cyanobacteria/Melainabacteria group Phylum: Cyanobacteria Classis: Cyanophyceae Subclassis: Synechococcophycideae Ordo: Synechococcales

Familia: Leptolyngbyaceae
Genus: Leptothoe
Species: Leptothoe spongobia

Name

Leptothoe spongobia D. Konstantinou & S. Gkelis, 2019

Etymology: The specific epithet spongobia refers to the association of the species with sponges. From Greek σπόγγος (spongos)-sponge and βίος (bios)-life.

• Type locality: Rocky sublittoral zone of Porto Valitsa, Kassandra, Chalkidiki Peninsula, Greece (39.951° N, 23.685° E), collected on October 10, 2014 at depths of 9.6 and 19.5 m; found to live in association with the sponges Acanthella acuta and Dysidea avara.

Description

Filaments with a single trichome per sheath, unbranched, straight to curved, and irregularly entangled and joined in clusters. Sheaths colorless, firm, and thin. Trichomes cylindrical and T constricted to strongly constricted at the cross walls. Trichomes pinkish, not attenuated toward the ends. Hormogonia formation common. Cells longer than wide, 1.36–2.76 μm in length and 0.84–1.97 μm in width. Cell contents homogenous. Thylakoids (three to four) arranged peripherally. End cells rounded.

References

Konstantinou, D., Voultsiadou, E., Panteris, E., Zervou, S.K., Hiskia, A. & Gkelis, S. 2019. Leptothoe, a new genus of marine cyanobacteria (Synechococcales) and three new species associated with sponges from the Aegean Sea. Journal of Phycology, 55(4): 882-897. DOI: 10.1111/jpy.12866