Fottea 2023, 23(2):149-163 | DOI: 10.5507/fot.2022.021

Unravelling the hidden complexity in diversity and pigment composition of a colonial flagellate Synura sphagnicola (Chrysophyceae, Stramenopiles)

Pavel Škaloud1*, Magda Škaloudová1, Iva Jadrná1, Jana Pilátová2, 3, Woonnghi Shin4, Jiří Kopecký5
1 Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Botany, 12800 Praha 2, Czech Republic;
* Corresponding author e-mail: skaloud@natur.cuni.cz
2 Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Experimental Plant Biology, 12800 Praha 2, Czech Republic
3 Charles University, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Institute of Physics, Division of Biomolecular Physics, 12000 Praha 2, Czech Republic
4 Chungnam National University, Department of Biology, 34141 Daejeon, Korea
5 Laboratory of Algal Biotechnology - Centre ALGATECH, Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Opatovický mlýn, 379 81 Třeboň, Czech Republic

In this study, we aim to taxonomically evaluate a unique example of cryptic diversity in a freshwater protist species Synura sphagnicola, occurring at two evolutionary levels. First, we characterize two species, S. sphagnicola and S. rubra sp. nov., that diverged from one another approx. 14 Mya. These species are morphologically well differentiated by the morphology of silica scales. Second, we propose seven evolutionary young, but ecologically and geographically well differentiated lineages as separate sub-species, sphagnicola, agilis, borealis (within S. sphagnicola), rubra, ampla, bella and caelica (within S. rubra). In addition, we examine the autofluorescence and pigment composition of two selected strains, identifying fucoxanthin as a predominant carotenoid. We further show that the red droplets in the cytoplasm, a prominent feature of both species, are formed by a previously unknown pigment. Finally, we identify chlorophyll-c2 in S. sphagnicola. Since the lack of this pigment represents a major distinguishing character to discriminate between classes Synurophyceae and Chrysophyceae, we formally synonymize these taxa.

Keywords: cryptic diversity, evolution, molecular phylogeny, morphology, pigments, Synura, Synurophyceae, taxonomy

Received: July 26, 2022; Revised: November 21, 2022; Accepted: December 15, 2022; Prepublished online: August 2, 2023; Published: October 25, 2023Show citation

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Škaloud, P., Škaloudová, M., Jadrná, I., Pilátová, J., Shin, W., & Kopecký, J. (2023). Unravelling the hidden complexity in diversity and pigment composition of a colonial flagellate Synura sphagnicola (Chrysophyceae, Stramenopiles). Fottea, 23(2), 149-163. doi: 10.5507/fot.2022.021
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