Cultivation of Antarctic Microalgae (3) : Isolation and Culture of Antarctic Endemic Diatom Tropidoneis laevissima W. & G. S. WEST from the Bottom Sand of the Salt Lake Suribati at Skarvsnes in Lutzow-Holm Bay, Antarctica

Abstract

The Lake Suribati is a salt lake (25-73 g Cl/l in a season) on the Skarvsnes of the coastal region of Lutzow-Holm Bay in Antarctica. Antarctic endemic diatom Tropidoneis laevissima W. & G. S. WEST was isolated from the samples of bottom sand which were collected on the coast of the lake on 28-29th of January in 1975 (Antarct. Rec., 54, 94-100). The length of the shell is 46-52μ and the width of the shell is 6-8.2μ. Striae are 22-26 in 10μ. This species grew very slowly and slightly in the fresh water of artificial culture medium, while it grew somewhat rapidly on the agar artificial culture medium with the lake water (30-50%) or NaCl (10-20%). This species is characterized by its halophic algae.