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New planktic species of Kirchneriella Schmidle (Chlorophyceae,

Selenastraceae) from Brazilian freshwaters

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DOI: 10.1007/s40415-013-0014-5

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New planktic species of Kirchneriella
Schmidle (Chlorophyceae, Selenastraceae)
from Brazilian freshwaters

Daniella da Silva, Célia L. Sant’Anna,

Andrea Tucci & Augusto Comas

Brazilian Journal of Botany

ISSN 0100-8404
Volume 36
Number 2

Braz. J. Bot (2013) 36:153-157

DOI 10.1007/s40415-013-0014-5

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 Author's personal copy
Braz. J. Bot (2013) 36(2):153–157
DOI 10.1007/s40415-013-0014-5
SYSTEMATICS, PHYLOGENY AND FLORISTICS
New planktic species of Kirchneriella Schmidle (Chlorophyceae,
Selenastraceae) from Brazilian freshwaters
Daniella da Silva • Célia L. Sant’Anna •
Andrea Tucci • Augusto Comas
Received: 30 July 2012 / Accepted: 1 April 2013 / Published online: 16 July 2013
Ó Botanical Society of São Paulo 2013
Abstract New planktic species of Kirchneriella Schm-
idle (Chlorophyceae, Selenastraceae) from Brazilian
freshwaters. In the samples collected from an artificial lake,
located in the metropolitan region of São Paulo, an inter-
esting algal population morphologically similar to Kirch-
neriella Schmidle was found. The crescent-shaped cells
were oriented, inside the colony, with their convex faces
toward the periphery of the colony resembling those of K.
roselata Hindák. However, the remaining portions of the
mother cell wall with more or less radial arrangement
similar to the connective mucilaginous threads of the genus
Selenodictyon Uherkovich & Schmidt ex Comas & Ko-
márek were also observed. After further studies based on
light microscope, the studied material proves to be mor-
phologically distinguishable from K. roselata, although it
never forms rosette-like groups, which are typical in K.
roselata. The remaining parts of the mother cell wall more
or less radially disposed near the cells (autospores just
released from the mother cell wall) are not connective
threads. Thus, a new species, K. brasiliana, is described in
this paper. According to literature, the main diagnostic
feature of Selenodictyon is the crescent-shaped cells
attached by their concave faces to mucilaginous stalks like
in Dictyosphaerium; however, remaining portions of the
mother cell wall more or less radially oriented were also
formed in some Kirchneriella populations. Therefore, the
authors consider that such feature could be misinterpreted
D. da Silva  C. L. Sant’Anna (&)  A. Tucci
Instituto de Botânica, Núcleo de Pesquisa em Ficologia,
São Paulo, SP, Brazil
e-mail: celialsant@yahoo.com.br
A. Comas
Centro de Estudios Ambientales de Cienfuegos, Ministerio de
Ciencias, Tecnologı́a y Medio Ambiente, Cienfuegos, Cuba
as connective mucilaginous threads, which raises doubts
regarding the validity of Selenodictyon.
Keywords Green algae  Fish pound  New species 
Taxonomy
Introduction
Kirchneriella Schmidle 1893 was traditionally included in
the families Ankistrodesmaceae (Koršikov 1953), Chlo-
rellaceae (Komárek and Fott 1983), or in Selenastraceae
(Marvan et al. 1984), belonging to Chlorococcales. Recent
studies based on gene sequence analysis (Krienitz et al.
2001) show phylogenetic relationships with Sphaeropleales
sensu Deason et al. (1991). These studies also showed that
the family Selenastraceae constitutes a monophyletic group
belonging to the class Chlorophyceae (Krienitz et al. 2011).
In spite of the fact that the morphological features do not
correspond to molecular basis for distinguishing genera in
the Selenastraceae (Fawley et al. 2005), the genus Kirch-
neriella, in the traditional sense (as genus forma), is well
characterized by arcuate, crescent-shaped, or cylindrical-
fusiform (irregularly curved) and even sigmoid cells, dis-
posed in colonial mucilage. The cell ends are sharp, pointed
round, pointed, or round. The cells inside the colony can be
organized with their convex side turned to the colony center
or turned to the colony edge. The parietal chloroplast occu-
pies a large portion of the cell volume and pyrenoids may be
present or not. Reproduction occurs by autospores disposed
in series inside the mother cell wall or, more rarely, more or
less in parallel arrangement. Autospores are liberated by the
rupture of the mother cell wall, which later will be com-
pletely or partially gelatinized. In this last case, the remnants
of the mother cell wall remain inside the colonial mucilage.
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154 D. da Silva et al.

The presence or absence of the pyrenoid (under the light Table 1 Physical, chemical, and biological variables of the studied
microscope) was traditionally considered a good diacritic lake, São Paulo State, Brazil (according to Mercante et al. 2004,
2005)
feature, allowing the classification of species into two
independent genera: (1) Kirchneriella s. str., with pyrenoid Variables Collecting
(type species K. obesa (W. West) Schmidle 1893); (2) Dry season Rainy season
Pseudokirchneriella Hind. 1990, without pyrenoid (=Kir-
chneria Hindák 1988, Raphidocelis Hindák 1977 sensu Water temperature (°C) 21.9 30.0
Marvan et al. 1984). Deep (m) 1.0 1.0
There is no precise designation of the type species of Euphotic zone (m) 0.6 0.6
-1
Pseudokirchneriella, and for this reason we are considering Conductivity (lS cm ) 30.0 30.0
Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata (Koršikov) Hindák 1990 pH 5.8 5.6
as a type species, based on the fact that Kirchneria, whose Dissolved oxygen (mg L-1) 6.1 11.0
type species is K. subcapitata (Hindák 1988), is considered Turbidity (NTU) 78.0 72.0
to be synonymous with Pseudokirchneriella. N–NO2- (lg L-1) 7.0 9.1
According to molecular studies (Krienitz et al. 2001; N–NO3- (lg L-1) 58.3 45.5
Krienitz and Bock 2012), small genera based only on N–NH4? (lg L-1) 86.0 29.0
morphological features are not sustainable, and the P–PO4- (lg L-1) 27.5 14.5
adoption of only one genus (Kirchneriella) in broad sense PT (lg L-1) 161.7 162.3
could be the correct option. Other features such as the Chlorophyll a (lg L-1) 68.7 106.5
presence or absence of a pyrenoid, single cells or in col- Trophic state index 69 69
onies, and autospores arrangement inside the mother cell
wall are not enough to distinguish the mentioned genera
separately. Results and discussion
In the samples collected from an artificial lake, loca-
ted in the metropolitan region of São Paulo City, Brazil, Kirchneriella brasiliana sp. nov.
an interesting algae, morphologically similar to Kirch-
neriella roselata Hindák, was found. The cells are ori- Diagnosis: Coloniae libere natantes, irregulariter sphaericae
ented with their convex faces toward the periphery of the usque ovales, multicellulares, praecipue per turmas 2–4
colony and after reproduction (autospores liberated by cellulares aggregatas circum superficiem coloniae formatas,
rupture of mother cell wall), the remnants of the mother cum latis concavis ad centrum coloniae dispositae. Tegu-
cell walls remain more or less radially oriented inside mentum gelatinosum, homogeneum, tenues, hyalinum, sine
the colonial mucilage looking like connective mucilagi- structura. Cellulae fusiformes, arcuatae, moderate contor-
neous stalks similar to those of Selenodictyon brasiliense tae, ad utrosque polos aequaliter angustatae, apicibus acutis.
Uherkovich & Schmidt ex Comas & Komárek. This Membrana cellularia levis, hyalina. Chloroplastum unum,
algal population was studied in order to reach its accu- parietale, sine pyrenoide. Propagatio 2–4 autosporis; auto-
rate taxonomical definition and clarify its relations to sporae e membrana matricali divisione centrali in partes
other similar taxa. duas liberantur; frequenter vestigia membranae matricali
circa cellulae juveniles remanens, ut videtur similis con-
nectivis, re vera autem, e cellulis distantibus. Dimensiones
Materials and methods cellularum: 11.3–17.0 9 1.2–3.1 lm.
Habitatio (locus classicus): in plancto lacus, Suzano,
The studied populations were collected from an artificial Brasilia.
lake used for fishing (some limnological parameters are Holotypus: Brazil, São Paulo State: Suzano, 12-III-
shown in Table 1), located in the City of Suzano, São 2002, D Silva s.n. (SP3913443).
Paulo State, southeastern Brazil (S23°250 2400 W46°220 0500 ).
The samples were obtained using van Dorn’s bottle
and plankton net (20 lm), in dry and rainy seasons in a Description
year.
The samples were preserved with 4 % formaldehyde Kirchneriella brasiliana sp. nov. (Fig. 1)
and studied in a Zeiss Axiosplan 2 microscope. China ink
was used to improve the mucilage observation. The clas- Colonies free floating, rounded to ovoid, formed by groups
sification systems of Komárek and Fott (1983) and Krienitz of 2–4 cells arranged in the colony periphery; cells lunate,
et al. (2001) were adopted. pointed at both ends, concave side turned to the center of

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New planktic species of Kirchneriella
colony; mucilaginous envelope thin, difluent; chloroplast
parietal, without pyrenoid; reproduction by autospores;
remaining parts of the mother cell wall in the center of the
colony, displaying radial orientation near the cells. Cells
length: (11.3–) 14.7 lm (–17). Cells diameter: (1.2–)
2.0 lm (–3.1).
Locality: Brazil, São Paulo, Municipality of Suzano,
fish-pond, plankton material, 08-X-2001 (dry season),
D Silva s.n. (SP3913442); 12-III-2002 (rainy season),
D Silva s.n. (SP391343).
The Brazilian material is morphologically similar to
K. roselata described from Eslováquia (Hindák 1984), and
also registered in Ukraine (Tsarenko 1990) and Bulgaria
(Stoyneva 1998). K. roselata is an infrequently observed
species in the plankton of waters with different trophic
conditions (Stoyneva 1998). However, this taxon is
Fig. 1 Kirchneriella brasiliana. 1, 2 General aspect of the colonies showing the cells disposition. 3 Detail of mother cell wall rests radially
disposed (arrow). 4 Scheme of one colony with mother cell wall rests (arrow). Bar 10 lm
155
characterized by cells sharply curved, thin, normally joined
at one end, forming rosette-like groups, which present their
concave faces toward the center of the colony. When
they are present, remnants of the mother cell wall, par-
tially gelatinized, are scarce and spread without a radial
disposition.
Actually, the studied material is morphologically related
to this species, but the cells of the studied colonies never
form rosette-like groups, which are typical in K. roselata
and remnants of the mother cell wall, more or less radially
oriented in colonial mucilage, are usually present.
The Brazilian population is also similar to Selenodictyon
brasiliense when considering the orientation of the cells in
the colony, but in particular, because of the remaining
portions of the mother cell wall that present more or less
radial disposition near the cells (autospores just released).
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156 D. da Silva et al.

However, they are not connective threads which are
obligatory in Selenodictyon, according to its diagnosis
(Comas and Komárek in Comas 1992).
Considering all taxonomical characteristics of the
studied population, we concluded that the material could be
considered as an independent species of Kirchneriella
(Table 2 shows the main morphological features of the
species compared with other related taxa).
Due to the similarity of the new species with S. brasiliense,
some taxonomic comments are necessary: the genus Sele-
nodictyon, with its type species S. brasiliense, was pub-
lished improperly by Uherkovich and Schmidt (1974)
(nom. nud.), based on plankton samples from Lago Cas-
tanho, in the State of Amazon, north of Brazil.
Supported by the work of van der Heide (1982) based on
samples from Lake Brokopondo, Suriname, as well as by
materials from Cuba that could correspond to Selenodict-
yon, Comas and Komárek (Comas 1992) validated the
genus Selenodictyon. With another concept, they grouped
in this genus some species with elongated to crescent-
shaped cells, two or more times longer than wide, attached
by their concave faces to mucous filiform stalks similar to
those of Dictyosphaerium Nägeli. The species have one
parietal chloroplast with or without pyrenoid. Selenodictyon
brasiliense presents pyrenoid, according to the illustration of
Uherkovich and Schmidt (1974).
According to this conception, the genus Selenodictyon
was represented by three species: S. brasiliense, S. navicu-
liforme Comas & Komárek and S. elongatum (Hindák)
Comas & Komárek.
Taking into account the presence of Kirchneriella popu-
lations in materials from Cuba and Mexico (Veracruz), in
which crescent-shaped cells are disposed similarly to those
of Selenodictyon, with remaining portions of the mother
cell wall more or less radially disposed inside the colonial
mucilage, which could be misinterpreted as connective
threads similar to Dictyosphaerium/Selenodictyon, Comas
and Pérez Baliero (2002) pointed out serious doubts in
relation to the existence of the genus Selenodictyon,
keeping, ‘‘ad interim’’, only one species: S. brasiliense.
According to the authors, the other Selenodictyon species
were not justified.
After our observations in Brazilian samples from São
Paulo State, we also consider that Selenodictyon is not a
good genus, and possibly it could be a particular species of
Kirchneriella s.l., whose cells’ concave face is disposed
toward the center of the colony. The remnants of the
mother cell wall, which are radially disposed inside the

Table 2 Comparison of the diacritic features of K. brasiliana and related species of the genera Selenodictyon and Kirchneriella
Selenodictyon Selenodictyon Selenodictyon Kirchneriella roselata Kirchneriella Kirchneriella
brasiliense brasiliense brasiliense Hind. (Hindák 1984) irregularis G.M. brasiliana sp.
Uherk. & Uherk. & (Uherk. and Smith (Koršikov nov.
Schmidt Schmidt Schmidt) Com. & 1953)
(Uherkovich and (Komárek and Kom. (Comas
Schmidt 1974) Fott 1983) 1992)*

Cell form Lunate, pointed at Lunate, pointed at Lunate, pointed at Fusiform, curved, slightly Fusiform, Lunate, pointed at
both ends both ends both ends sigmoid curved, both ends
regularly
attenuated to
the bluntly
rounded or
obtuse ends
Cells Groups of 2–4 Groups of 2–4 Groups of 2–4 Groups of 2–4 cells with Groups of 4 cells Groups of 2–4
distribution cells arranged cells arranged cells arranged their ends close to each irregularly cells arranged
in the in the colony in the colony in the colony other, forming rosette- disposed in the in the colony
colony periphery; periphery; periphery; like groups; concave mucilage; cells periphery;
concave side concave side concave side side of the cells turned with the concave side
turned to the turned to the turned to the to the center of colony convex side turned to the
center of colony center of colony center of colony outwards center of colony
Chloroplast _ Chloroplast Chloroplast Chloroplast parietal Chloroplast Chloroplast
and parietal with parietal with without pyrenoid parietal parietal without
pyrenoid one pyrenoid one pyrenoid probably with pyrenoid
(according to one pyrenoid
the figures)
Cell length 6.5–7.0 lm 6.5–7.0 lm 6.5–7.0 lm 7.5–12 lm 6.0–21.0 lm (11.3) 14.7 lm
(17.0)
Cell wide 1.5 lm 1.5 lm 1.5 lm 1.5–2.0 lm 3.0–6.0 lm (1.2) 2.0 lm (3.1)
Mucilage _ Thin, hyaline Thin, hyaline Homogenous, hyaline _ Thin, hyaline
* Valid publication according to Botanical Code of Nomenclature

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New planktic species of Kirchneriella
colony, must have been erroneously considered as con-
nective threads by Uherkovich and Schmidt (1974) and
Comas and Komárek (Comas 1992).
However, it is not possible to transfer S. brasiliense to
the genus Kirchneriella as a new combination because the
holotype of S. brasiliense is just a figure (Uherkovich and
Schmidt 1974, Taf. IV, Fig. 84), in which it is possible to
observe cells attached to the mucilaginous threads. As there
is no preserved sample of S. brasiliense, it is not possible to
confirm whether these ‘‘mucilaginous threads’’ were mis-
interpreted. Because of that and the presence of pyrenoids
in Fig. 84 that never occur in the material from São Paulo
State, it is impossible to consider S. brasiliense as a syno-
nym of K. brasiliana. The real taxonomic position of
S. brasiliense will be defined only if other populations are
found again.
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