''Chaetoceros furcellatus'' is an Arctic

neritic The neritic zone (or sublittoral zone) is the relatively shallow part of the ocean above the drop-off of the continental shelf, approximately in depth. From the point of view of marine biology it forms a relatively stable and well-illuminated ...

diatom A diatom (Neo-Latin ''diatoma''), "a cutting through, a severance", from el, διάτομος, diátomos, "cut in half, divided equally" from el, διατέμνω, diatémno, "to cut in twain". is any member of a large group comprising sev ...

in the genus ''

Chaetoceros ''Chaetoceros'' is probably the largest genus of marine planktonic diatoms with approximately 400 species described, although many of these descriptions are no longer valid. It is often very difficult to distinguish between different ''Chaet ...

''. The easiest way to identify this species is by finding the very characteristic resting spores. ''C. furcellatus'' is a common and important species in the

Barents sea The Barents Sea ( , also ; no, Barentshavet, ; russian: Баренцево море, Barentsevo More) is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located off the northern coasts of Norway and Russia and divided between Norwegian and Russian territo ...

.C.H. von Quillfeldt., (2001). ''Identification of Some Easily Confused Common Diatom Species in Arctic Spring Blooms.'' Botanica Marina Vol. 44: 375 - 389

Species description

Cells united into chains that can be long and slightly curved.

Valve A valve is a device or natural object that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid (gases, liquids, fluidized solids, or slurries) by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically fittings ...

face is flat to slightly concave with a central inflation. The

setae In biology, setae (singular seta ; from the Latin word for "bristle") are any of a number of different bristle- or hair-like structures on living organisms. Animal setae Protostomes Annelid setae are stiff bristles present on the body. Th ...

originate inside the valve margin. Resting spores occur in pairs fused by a basal plate, one setae sticks out on each side of the pair, perpendicular to the chain axis, and splits in two, half a cell length from the valve marginTomas, C. R., Hasle G. R., Syvertsen, E. E., Steidinger, K. A., Tangen, K., Throndsen, J., Heimdal, B. R., (1997). ''Identifying Marine Phytoplankton'', Academic Press.

References

External links

Algaebase

C.H. von Quillfeldt article
Species described in 1856 Coscinodiscophyceae {{Diatom-stub