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 Distribution in scandinavian waters |
Maximum width: 0,08 mm. Compare
with the size of a hair. Appearance: Chaetoceros-diatoms build chains of varying lengths. Occasionally the cells are solitary. The cells are constructed like a box with a lid. From above, they are rounded, but from the side they are rectangular. Chaetoceros-diatoms always carry outward brushes that point from the corners of the cell. In chained colonies, the brushes touch the base of the neighbouring cells. It is often possible to see two bands that run around the cells. Compare chaetoceros-diatoms with thalassiosira-diatoms. Depth: Chaetoceros-diatoms are most common in the upper depths that recieve sunlight. Environment: Pelagic. Misc: The genus is most common in cold and temperate coastal areas, but is represented in all maritime regions. Especially during the spring chaetoceros-diatoms are a distinct feature in Scandinavian waters during plankton blooms. They are preyed upon by many different animal planktons, i.e. copepods and bottom-living suspension feeders. Classification: Chaetoceros-diatoms are a large and highly variable group that comprises about 400 identified specie. They are part of the diatom group under the "protists". The protists is not a well defined group, as it is often used for organisms that are not bacterias, fungi, plants or animals. |
