A checklist of marine benthic diatoms (Bacillariophyta) from Mexico

Abstract

This article summarizes nearly three decades of research on marine benthic diatoms from coastal areas in Mexico. The studies analyzed yielded 1162 taxonomic entities that include species, varieties, and forms, plus a considerable number of informal designations; i.e., “aff.” and “cf.”. The taxonomic list resulted from surveying all available published data on the topic, mostly by the authors, from northwest and southeast Mexico, with the objective of providing an up-to-date basis for further research on benthic diatoms from Mexico and related areas. Members of the Class Bacillariophyceae are the best represented with 881 taxa, followed by the Coscinodiscophyceae and Fragilariophyceae with 165 and 116 taxa, respectively. This is the first floristic list of benthic marine diatoms for Mexico, and it shows that many areas of the country’s extensive coastal zone are yet to be surveyed, while simultaneously providing a basis for future ecological and biogeographical studies.