Diatom algae of the genus Skeletonema Greville: history of study, current status, and distribution in Peter the Great Bay, Sea of Japan
Ponomareva A.A. 1 , Shevchenko O.G. 1,2,3
2 A. V. Zhirmunsky National Scientific Center of Marine Biology, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok, 690041, Russian Federation
3 Far Eastern State Technical Fisheries University, Vladivostok, 690087, Russian Federation
Year: 2026, Number: 2, Pages: 29-42
As a result of long-term studies of phytoplankton in the coastal waters of the Peter the Great Bay, Sea of Japan, five species of Skeletonema were recorded: S. costatum, S. dohrnii, S. japonicum, S. marinoi, and S. menzelii. The paper presents morphological descriptions for each species based on electron microscopy. According to the data provided, the development of these species is associated with specific ecological conditions. For example, S. dohrnii thrived in the study area at water temperatures of 17–25 °C and salinities of 25–29‰, causing summer blooms. S. japunicum’s populations rapidly increased at temperatures ranging from –1.8 °C to 10 °C and salinities of 30–34‰, while S. marinoi showed substantial growth at temperatures of 17.5–21.5 °C and salinities of 25.4–33.2‰. S. menzelii reached maximum abundance at significantly reduced salinity (11‰) and low water temperature (0 °C) during ice melt season. Although several representatives of the genus co-occur in the plankton, only one species is always responsible for bloom formation. These data considerably facilitate the identification of members of the genus during monitoring studies across different seasons.
DOI: 10.25221/2782-1978_2026_2_3
Keywords: diatoms, Skeletonema, morphology, distribution, history of study,
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