Occurences of Fragilaria saxoplanctonica from Lake Kasumigaura

Abstract

Fragilaria saxoplanctonica Lange-Bertalot & Ulrich from Lake Kasumigaura, is reported as an official new Japanese species with photographs. The species has been misidentified as Synedra filiformis Grunow, Fragilaria gracilis Østrup or Fragilaria tenera (W. Smith) Lange-Bertalot. In Kasumigaura, it appears during the spring bloom from March to July. As a planktonic species, there are no similar species and identification is easy, however since many attached diatom species in genus Fragilaria, are morphologically similar, care should be taken in identifying them in samples including periphyton.