Table 3 in Recognizing novel cyanobacterial diversity in marine benthic mats, with the description of Sirenicapillariaceae fam. nov., two new genera, Sirenicapillaria gen. nov. and Tigrinifilum gen. nov., and seven new species

Table 3. Morphological characteristics of the genera Affixifilum, Neolyngbya, Limnoraphis, Capilliphycus, Sirenicapillaria gen. nov. and Tigrinifilum gen. nov. within the family Sirenicapillariaceae fam. nov. CharacteristicsAffixifilumNeolyngbyaLimnoraphisCapilliphycusSirenicapillaria gen. nov.Tigrinifilum gen. nov.Thallusthick compact mats, rarely solitarysmall green mats or large brown fasciculate matsfilaments solitary, free-floating, or growing in small aggregationsextensive fasciculate mats or small clustersrigid and loose, tangled knotsfloccose or entangled, mat-likeFilament8.1–29.8 µm diameter, filaments straight, or slightly curved to slightly waved6.9–26.7 µm diameter, filaments straight5–25 µm diam.; straight or slightly curved(8–)12–30(–46) µm diam.; straight12.5–83(–94.0); straight and rigid(9–)10.2–19.0; straightSheathhyaline or laminate, thin or thickhyaline, thin or thick, sometimes lamellatedfirm, colourless, hyaline, thin, or slightly thickhyaline or bright yellow to yellow-brown, firm, thin or thick, sometimes lamellatedhyaline or gelatinous, lamellate at times, thin to very widefacultative, or not presentTrichome width10.1–32.4 µm diameter7.8–24.7 µm diameter15–19 µm diameter(6.6–)10–21(–24) µm10–63 µm5–20 µmCell contentcontains gas vesicles and numerous cyanophycin granulescontaining numerous gas vesiclesgas vesicles facultativecontaining numerous gas vesicles usually forming aerotopesheavily pigmentedhomogeneousConstrictionslightly constrictednot or slightly constrictednot or slightly constrictednot or slightly constrictedslightly constrictedfacultativeCross-wallheavily granulatedfrequently granulatednot informedoften granulatedgranulatedvery heavily granulatedAttenuationattenuation presenttrichomes not attenuated towards endnot attenuatednot or slightly attenuated towards endsslight attenuation across filament length towards endsCellsshort discoid, 0.95–3.8 µm longshort, 1.3–4.5 µm longcylindrical, short, always wider than longshort, 1.4–5.6(–6) µm long, 1.2– 11 times larger than longdiscoid, 1–4 µm long, 6–21 times wider than longdiscoid, 1–3 µm long, twice as wideApical cellusually rounded or conical-rounded, calyptra common, attenuation when forming hormogonia, may form many at onceusually rounded or conical-rounded, thickened rare, without calyptrawithout clear calyptrarounded, conical, conical-rounded, flat-rounded, truncate, rarely capitate, sometimes with thickened, without calyptrabluntly rounded, at times slightly conicalconical to bluntly roundedReproductionhormogonia formed within trichomes by straight fragmentation with or without necridia. Terminal hormogonia formed by attenuation of the apices and formation of several hormogonia.hormogonia formed by diagonal, straight, or irregular fragmentation pattern of the trichomeintense hormogonia productionhormogonia formed by straight or diagonal fragmentation of the trichome, helped or not by necridic cellsrelease of single cells, hormogonia formed by straight or diagonal fragmentation of the trichome, helped or not by necridic cellshormogonia by straight or diagonal trichome fragmentation, helped or not by necridic cellsOccurrenceepilithic or epipsammic mats in tropical marine environmentsepilithic or epipsammic in tropical to subtropical environmentsplanktic in mesotrophic waters in Lake Atitlán, Guatemala, Florida freshwater canalmarine and halophilic, and in inland saline biotopesmarine and benthic in seagrassesmarine/hypersaline and benthic, planktonicReferenceLefler et al. (2021)Caires et al. (2018a)Komárek et al. (2013)Caires et al. (2018b); this paperthis paperthis paper