Tigrinifilum floridanum D.E. Berthold, Lefler & Laughinghouse, 2022

Berthold, David E., Lefler, Forrest W. & Laughinghouse, H. Dail, 2022, Recognizing novel cyanobacterial diversity in marine benthic mats, with the description of Sirenicapillariaceae fam. nov., two new genera, Sirenicapillaria gen. nov. and Tigrinifilum gen. nov., and seven new species, Phycologia 61 (2), pp. 146-165 : 149

Tigrinifilum floridanum D.E. Berthold, Lefler & Laughinghouse sp. nov.

Figs 27–29, 31–33, 36–38

DESCRIPTION: Filaments solitary and free-floating, or attached to substrate. Filaments straight, wavy, to flexuous, (9–)10.2–19 µm wide with thick hyaline sheath. Trichomes cylindrical, (7–)8.0–19.2 µm wide. Cells slightly constricted between meristematic zones, highly constricted between dividing cells in older filaments. Cross-walls densely granulated and darkened. Cells discoid, wider than long, rarely isodiametric, 1.0–2.7 µm long. Cell content light to dark green, blue green, brown, and grey. Apical cell rounded, with occasional clear calyptra. Reproduction by fragmentation or hormogonia.

TYPE LOCALITY: USA. Florida: Elliot Key ( Biscayne Bay ) (25°23.810 ʹ N, 80°14.043 ʹ W).

HABITAT: Entangled within larger benthic cyanobacteria or dislodged floating mats.

ETYMOLOGY: Latin floridanum , in reference to the widespread occurrence of this cyanobacterium throughout the southern Florida coast.

HOLOTYPE: US 223427 (dried material in a metabolically inactive state of reference strain BLCC-M48), deposited in US National Herbarium, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA.

REFERENCE STRAIN: BLCC-M 48.

MATERIALS ANALYSED: BLCC-M 48, BLCC-M 50, BLCC-M 51, BLCC-M57, BLCC-M 66, BLCC-M 73, BLCC-M 77, BLCC-M 85, BLCC-M 87, BLCC-M 102, BLCC-M 107, BLCC-M 118, BLCC-M 119, BLCC-M 120.

Figures

Figs 27–38. Microscope images of species of Tigrinifilum. Fig. 27. Variation in filament colours: T. floridanum strain BLCC-M51. Scale bar = 50 µm. Fig. 28. Variation in filament colours: T. floridanum strain BLCC-M119. Scale bar = 50 µm. Fig. 29. Variation in filament colours: T. floridanum strain BLCC-M118. Scale bar = 50 µm. Fig. 30. Floccose thalli of T. guerandense (reference strain BLCC-M99). Scale bar = 50 µm. Fig. 31. Extreme granulation at the crosswalls resembling tiger stripes in T. floridanum. Scale bar = 50 µm. Fig. 32. Lack of granulation at apical crosswalls of T. floridanum. Scale bar = 50 µm. Fig. 33. Lack of granulation at apical crosswalls of T. floridanum. Scale bar = 50 µm. Fig. 34. Extensive granulation at crosswalls and lack of granulation in apices in T. guerandense. Scale bar = 50 µm. Fig. 35. Extensive granulation at crosswalls and lack of granulation in apices in T. guerandense. Scale bar = 20 µm. Fig. 36. Calyptra of T. floridanum. Scale bar = 50 µm. Fig. 37. Filaments growing past each other of T. floridanum. Scale bar = 50 µm. Fig. 38. Rare false branching of T. floridanum. Scale bar = 50 µm.