Epithemia Explained

Epithemia is a genus of diatoms belonging to the family Rhopalodiaceae.^[1]

The genus has cosmopolitan distribution.

They have recently been linked to nitrogen fixation and can be a possible indicator of eutrophication. This is because levels of epithemia “containing cyanobacteria endosymbionts, decreased with increased ambient inorganic N concentrations” (Stancheva 2013).^[2] Concentrations of members of the epithemia genus existing with cyanobacteria endosymbionts would mean that there is more fixed nitrogen in the ecosystem. It could act as an early indicator of nutrient overload.

Species

Species:

• Epithemia alpestris
• Epithemia alpestris
• Epithemia anasthasiae

Notes and References

1. Web site: Epithemia F.T.Kützing, 1844 . www.gbif.org . 23 April 2021 . en.
2. Stancheva . Rosalina . Sheath . Robert G. . Read . Betsy A. . McArthur . Kimberly D. . Schroepfer . Chrystal . Kociolek . J. Patrick . Fetscher . A. Elizabeth . 2013-12-01 . Nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria (free-living and diatom endosymbionts): their use in southern California stream bioassessment . Hydrobiologia . en . 720 . 1 . 111–127 . 10.1007/s10750-013-1630-6 . 254550477 . 1573-5117.