These are SEM photos from a microbial mat in extreme environment. I have found these kind of big structures, these are bigger than diatoms, it seems to be seeds, can anybody help me?
yes it is a diatom !: Rhopalodia wetzelii, it is very big comparing others and it is associated to high salinity (andean salar pads)
Thanks!
They look like diatoms to me... is your SEM equipped with EDS capabilities? You could use this to determine if the structure is silica (diatom frustule).
It is hundred times bigger than diatoms in fact you can see rest of diatoms (frustulas) very small nest to the structure.
It looks like the girdle view of a diatom. The sigmoidal strips are their cingulum, the cingular bands. This might be a Entomoneis sp.
Dear Maria
It seems like Amphiprora sp. (a diatom) to me. Your specimen is around 100-110 micro meter and this size is very much comparable to the diatoms. These are common in microbial mats as well.
Best
Dola
a diatom? but it is so much bigger than the others!, we have many mats in smalls pools. and only this pool present these ¨diatoms¨ the dominant diatoms in these environments are Amphora (dominant), Navicula, Pinnularia, Eucocconeis, Cymbella and Synedra. (http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0053497)
thanks again...I wll start thinking in diatoms....
yes it is a diatom !: Rhopalodia wetzelii, it is very big comparing others and it is associated to high salinity (andean salar pads)
Thanks!
Its a diatom with no doubt. You can consult Kramnmer and Bertalot monographs to confirm taxonomic determination if you need it.
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