Scientists have discovered a new genus of Gomphonemoid diatoms found in a clean water river of the Eastern Ghats. The genus, which has an interesting set of features that distinguish it from other members of the Gomphonemoid group in terms of valve symmetry and other certain valve features, was named Indiconema to appreciate its limited distribution in the country. The research highlights the importance of diatoms in shaping the biodiversity of India’s diverse landscapes.
Diatoms are microscopic algae that play a key role in our daily lives by producing 25 percent of global oxygen, which is about every fourth breath of oxygen we breathe. It serves as the base of the aquatic food chain. Due to their sensitivity to any changes in the chemical composition of the water, they are excellent indicators of the health of aquatic organisms.
Diatoms are the first recorded microorganisms in India, with Ehrenberg’s first account dating back to 1845 in his voluminous publication Microgeology. Since then, several studies in India have recorded diatoms from freshwater and marine environments. A rough estimate calculates that there are nearly 6,500 diatom taxa, of which 30 percent are endemic (restricted to a particular area) in India, indicating India’s unique biodiversity.
In addition, diverse biogeographical zones support different species with a diversity of habitats from freshwater to marine, from sea level to high mountains, and alkaline lakes to acidic swamps. Peninsular India includes the Eastern and Western Ghats and has distinct physiographic, edaphic and climatic gradients that cherish a wide variety of habitats with unique geographical locations and supporting unique diatom assemblages.
Indiconema discovered by scientists at Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), Pune, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology, differs in that it has a pore array at both the head and foot poles, rather than just the foot pole.
The evolution of monsoons has structured the rainforest biome across the Indian peninsula and the associated variable humidity has a direct role in shaping the diatom flora.
Research published in the journal Phycologia reports one species of Indiconema from the Eastern Ghats and another from the Western Ghats. A similar pattern of endemic element sharing between the two mountain systems has been observed in other endemically rich groups such as reptiles.
Additionally, based on the morphological features of this group, the researchers proposed that Indiconema is sister to Afrocymbella, a genus endemic to East Africa. Previous studies have noted that similarities between Gomphonema species from India and species from East Africa and Madagascar are supported by the current study association.
Supported by the former SERB, now ANRF, the discovery underscores the importance of continued research in unraveling the mysteries of diatom biogeography and their role in shaping the biodiversity of India’s diverse landscape.
