Skeletonema
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| Skeletonema | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Skeletonema costatum | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Clade: | Diaphoretickes |
| Clade: | Sar |
| Clade: | Stramenopiles |
| Phylum: | Gyrista |
| Subphylum: | Ochrophytina |
| Class: | Bacillariophyceae |
| Order: | Thalassiosirales |
| Family: | Skeletonemataceae |
| Genus: | Skeletonema R. K. Greville, 1865 |
| Species | |
| |
Skeletonema is a genus of centric diatoms in the family Skeletonemataceae. It is the type genus of its family.[1]
Diatoms are photosynthetic organisms, meaning they obtain carbon dioxide from their surrounding environment and produce oxygen along with other byproducts. They reproduce sexually (sexual reproduction is oogamous[2]) and asexually. Skeletonema belong to the morphological category referred to as centric diatoms. These are classified by having valves with radial symmetry and the cells lack significant motility.[3]
Taxonomy
The genus Skeletonema was established by Robert Kaye Greville in 1865 for a single fossil species, S. barbadense (now Skeletonemopsis barbadense[4]), found in Barbados deposits.[5][6] The genus has a new extant type species: S. costatum.[7]
