Table 2.
Ecological specification of the most common diatom taxa, cell morphology, colony lifestyle, habitats. The presence of species in ecological region is variable and dependent on, e.g., the season, nutrient availability, salinity, and conductivity; however, the most frequent occurrence is specified. One group is benthic species including epiphytic (attached to plants), epilithic (attached to rock surfaces), epipelic (on mud), and epipsammic (on sand) species and the second is pelagic diatoms (free living in the water column) [76,77].
| Species | Morphology | Colony-Forming | Lifestyle | Habitat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Actinella punctata | eunotioid | yes | benthic | acidic, humic lakes, and ponds |
| Actinocyclus normanii | centric | no | planktonic | coasts, brackish waters, sediment core |
| Amphora minutissima | asymmetrical biraphid | no | benthic | marine habitats, often epiphytic |
| Bacillaria paradoxa | nitzschioid | yes | benthic | marine, brackish, and freshwaters |
| Campylodiscus hibernicus | surirelloid | no | benthic | epipelon in fresh, brackish, marine waters |
| Cocconeis pediculus | monoraphid | no | benthic | planktonic, epiphytic, epilithic habitats |
| Cyclotella distinguenda | centric | no | planktonic | preferentially alkaline waters |
| Cymbella amplificata | asymmetrical biraphid | yes | benthic | oligotrophic waters |
| Diatoma vulgaris | araphid | yes | benthic | fresh and brackish water |
| Discostella stelligera | centric | no | planktonic | primarily in lakes and large rivers |
| Distrionella incognita | araphid | yes | benthic | alkaline lakes and streams |
| Epithemia turgida | epithemioid | no | benthic | epiphyte on coarse filamentous algae |
| Eucocconeis alpestris | monoraphid | no | benthic | the littoral zone of oligotrophic lakes |
| Eunotia exigua | eunotioid | N/A | benthic | moist soils, wet walls, streams, waterfalls |
| Fragilaria crotonensis | araphid | yes | planktonic | mesotrophic lakes, water column |
| Gyrosigma acuminatum | symmetrical biraphid | no | benthic | primarily an epipelic species |
| Navicula reinhardtii | symmetrical biraphid | no | benthic | fresh water, slightly brackish |
| Nitzschia regula | nitzschioid | no | benthic | cold-water, ponds, and streams |
| Phaeodactylum tricornutum | fusiform, triradiate, oval | no | planktonic | marine coastal waters |
| Pinnularia rabenhorstii | symmetrical biraphid | no | benthic | cold oligotrophic waters in the mountains |
| Pleurosira laevis | centric | yes | benthic | naturally saline or polluted waters |
| Thalassiosira weissflogii | centric | N/A | planktonic | primarily in marine waters |