Reinstatement of Lepidochromonas Kristiansen (Lepidochromonadaceae fam. nov., Chrysophyceae)

Abstract

The chrysophycean genus Lepidochromonas Kristiansen was established to accommodate a single species, Ochromonas diademifera E. Takah. characterized by cells covered by both plate-like scales and crown-shaped scales. Subsequently Lepidochromonas has been synonymized with Paraphysomonas De Saedeleer. Currently, the genus Paraphysomonas is restricted to the species with nail-like spine scales and species with basket-like scales have been removed to a newly described genus Clathromonas Scoble & Caval.-Sm. referred to the monotypic family Clathromonadidae Scoble & Caval.-Sm. Although both Clathromonas and Clathromonadidae are valid under the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature they are illegitimate names according to the rules of the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants. Here we reinstate the genus Lepidochromonas as it has priority over Clathromonas, and we propose 30 new nomenclatural combinations. The formal description of a new family Lepidochromonadaceae fam. nov. is also provided.