Epizoic and Epiphytic Diatoms

Abstract

Diatoms live in many habitats; their primary requirements are adequate water, light, and nutrients, especially silica for their frustules. One major habitat is that of adherence to living substrata, both plants or algae (epiphytic diatoms) and animals (epizoic diatoms). Species that inhabit this habitat differ from planktonic and freely moving benthic forms in several ways.