Dinobryon taiyuanensis (Chrysophyta, Dinobryaceae), a new freshwater species described from Shanxi province, China

A new freshwater species of Chrysophyceae, Dinobryon taiyuanensis, is described from Linde Lake in Shanxi province, China. This new species is similar to D. sertularia, the type species of the genus, in the shape of the lorica and organization of the colony. The cells have two heterokont flagella surrounded by a lorica and occurred both as free-living, solitary cells or in branched colonies. The lorica of our new species like a bent or S-shaped cone, and shorter than the lorica in D. sertularia. In addition to describing the morphological features of D. taiyuanensis, a phylogenetic analysis based on sequences of the nuclear small subunit ribosomal DNA (SSU rDNA) and internal transcribed spacer (including internal transcribed spacer 1, 5.8S rDNA and internal transcribed spacer 2) placed this alga in single clade with a considerable sequence distance from the other Dinobryon species. Thus, results of both morphological comparisons and phylogenetic analysis based on molecular data suggest this alga as a new species, increasing the total number of recognized freshwater Chrysophyta species in China.