New record of Prymnesium parvum f. patelliferum (Green, Hibberd & Piennar) Larsen stat. nov. (Prymnesiophyceae) from Valparaíso Bay

Abstract

An "unidentified flagellate" with a short non coiling haptonema was found by chance in a living phyto-plankton sample taken from Valparaíso Bay, Chile. Monocultures were obtained and kept in Provasoli medium (PES), at salinity 34.0, 16 ± 2°C, 40 μmol photon·m-2·s-1, and 11:13 h light:darkness. The strain (MLB298) was obtained by the capillary method. Cells were harvested by centrifugation, and pigments were extracted and examined using HPLC. Cells were examined with both light and electron microscopy. The genus was identified as Prymnesium Conrad, due to its characteristic pigments (Chl c3 plus fucoxanthin) and cellular features, mainly haptonema and scale characteristics. Further cultured studies of the cells revealed asexual and sexual reproduction. Electron microscopy observations of the scales showed the radial pattern of P. patellifera and the concentrical fibrilar pattern of P. parvum, confirming that P. patellifera and P. parvum are alternating generations of the same species (conspecifity). P. parvum f. patelliferum (Green, Hibberd & Piennar) Larsen stat. nov. is cited herein for the first time for the Chilean coast. © 2007 Escuela de Ciencias del Mar Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso.