The diatom flora of the Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia: Centrobacillariophycidae – inventory and description of five new taxa including Praecyclostephanos gen. nov.

Abstract

We provide an update to our knowledge of the centric diatoms in the Tonle Sap Lake (Cambodia) by providing a new and highly detailed iconography of all observed taxa based on light and scanning electron microscopy. We highlight a distinctive flora, including a new genus Praecyclostephanos gen. nov. and five taxa new to science: Aulacoseira micropunctata sp. nov., A. spiralorimoportula sp. nov., Praecyclostephanos boengchhmariensis sp. nov., Stephanodiscus tonlesapensis sp. nov. and Urosolenia anlongreangensis sp. nov. The flora is mainly dominated by several species of the genus Aulacoseira. Within the Aulacoseira populations forming the background of the diatom community, taxa that reveal the change in environmental conditions appear sporadically, often as blooms. The wide range of life-forms related to their ability to float is another remarkable aspect of the centric diatom flora. This variability appears at several taxonomic scales. At the genus level, colonial and solitary life-forms are very well represented in their diversity. At the sub-genus level, mainly among the Aulacoseira species, communities present a wide range of buoyancy metrics. Accordingly, in addition to the taxonomic review, we provide additional information related to their potential as bioindicators to monitor the hydrodynamic aspects of the lake in both space and time.