Sexual reproduction in the newly-described blue diatom, Haslea karadagensis.

Abstract

For decades, the diatom genus Haslea has been known to comprise both "colorless" species and one species containing a blue pigment, the latter being known as H. ostrearia. Recently, a new blue diatom named H. karadagensis has been isolated from the Black Sea. The mating compatibility of the two species has been tested, and their reproductive isolation confirmed. We provide a detailed description of the heterothallic sexual reproduction process in this new species. Cells from clones which are sexually compatible arrange gametangial pairs. Each gametangium in the pair produces two gametes, which to a large extent are morphologically and behaviorally isogamous. No mucilage or mucilage structures are observed. Zygotes and auxospores have no contact with parental frustules, and their orientation is rather irregular though they tend to lie parallel to each other. Evaluation of the position of cardinal points in the life cycle of the species, and the rate of cell size decrease in culture are presented. In the breeding system of this species both homo- and heterothallic ways of reproduction are realized. The latter is basic and predominant. Among the 36 clones investigated, 16 were sexually compatible with the other 20. Homothallic behavior was extremely rare; only one clone displayed a homothallic mode of reproduction.