DAVIDOVICH N.A., DAVIDOVICH O.I., POLYAKOVA S.L., NIKULIN V.YU., NIKULIN A.YU.
Issues of modern algology 2025; 37(1): 24-28
Diatoms (Bacillariophyta) exhibit exceptional species diversity, with many species being morphologically similar, complicating their identification. Toxicogenic and invasive species present a particular challenge, requiring precise verification. This study focuses on Nitzschia navis-varingica, originally described from Vietnam and widely distributed in the Pacific Ocean, but recently reported in the Mediterranean and Marmara Seas. Through breeding experiments, morphometric analysis, and genetic sequencing (rbcL), we demonstrate that Mediterranean and Marmara specimens do not match the type material of N. navis-varingica, but show reproductive compatibility with N. traheaformis from the Black Sea. Our results highlight the necessity of an integrative approach for delimiting cryptic species and call into question the presence of N. navis-varingica in the Mediterranean basin.
