Thalassiosira spp.
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| Taxonomic Group: | Diatom |
| Trophic Status: | Autotrophic |
| Size Range: | 14-61 ?m wide (Cupp 1943); 2-186 ?m wide (Tomas 1997); 7-186 ?m wide (Horner 2002), depending upon species |
| Key Characteristics: | Valves rounded or flat, with areolae or delicate radial rows of punctuations, but structure is often difficult to see; numerous small chloroplasts; united in flexible chains by organic threads extruded by strutted processes, or sometimes solitary; chains or cells embedded in mucilage |
| Confused With: | Any of the simple pill-box type centric diatoms; broad rules of thumb are as follows: Thalassiosira spp. have circular pores that are undifferentiated in the central region, a flat or undulated valve face in girdle view, an edge that does not go out of focus when viewed in valve view, and marginal processes |
| Toxin: | None known |