Morphology and distribution of Paralia Heiberg (Coscinodiscophyceae) in southern Brazil

Abstract

The morphology and distribution of Paralia fenestrata Sawai & Nagumo and P. sulcate (Ehrenberg) Cleve were studied within a set of 50 samples from plankton and sandy sediment, which were collected along the coast of Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul states. Regarding morphology, the Brazilian specimens differ from the Northern Hemisphere specimens, in number of cells in the chain and in number of ring of pores on the valve face of separating valves. Both species were reported in high relative abundance and they have been found in environments with wide water temperature (16.5 0C-28.2 °C) and salinity (29.05-36) ranges.