Affiliation:
1. Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Departamento Plancton y Ecología Marina, Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional S/N, Col. Playa Palo de Santa Rita, La Paz 23096, Baja California Sur, Mexico
2. Departamento Académico de Ciencias Marinas y Costeras, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, Carretera al Sur, km. 5.5, La Paz 23080, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Abstract
The ecological significance of benthic diatom taxocoenoses in marine ecosystems renders them a suitable reference when making decisions on conservation, as well as ecological and biogeographical issues. This study focuses on floristics of epiphytic diatoms of macroalgae from the central region of the Gulf of California and their biogeographical affinities. Based on current floristics for benthic diatoms of the Mexican NW, it was hypothesized that species richness would be higher for the central gulf (transitional) than for the tropical Revillagigedo Archipelago. Additionally, it was hypothesized that it would be composed mainly of common taxa of the region, with tropical and temperate components. Likewise, it was hypothesized that Mastogloia (tropical) would include less taxa and Lyrella would include more taxa in the transitional central gulf. The diatom flora yielded 333 taxa and 101 genera, and out of which the best represented were Navicula with 29 taxa, Amphora (27), Cocconeis (25), Nitzschia (24), Diploneis (19), Achnanthes (13), Halamphora (14), Fallacia (10), Lyrella (9), and Mastogloia (8), adding up to 53% of the total. The inspected diatom taxocoenosis included mostly taxa commonly distributed in the Mexican NW, albeit with 16 new records. This, plus the high species richness, as well as the proportions of selected taxa depicting this diatom taxocoenosis as being of transitional biogeographical affinity, back the posed hypotheses.
Funder
Instituto Politécnico Nacional
Subject
Nature and Landscape Conservation,Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous),Ecological Modeling,Ecology
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