Chaetoceros brevis Schütt

Division: Chromophyta
Class: Bacillariophyceae
Order: Biddulphiales
Suborder: Biddulphiineae
Family: Chaetocerotaceae Ralfs in Pritchard
Genus: Chaetoceros Ehrenberg
Scientific name: Chaetoceros brevis Schütt

Species: brevis

Synonyms:
Chaetoceros hiemale Cleve; Chaetoceros pseudobreve Pavillard

References:
Hustedt, 1930: p. 706, Fig. 403 a, b; Allen and Cupp, 1935: p. 140, Fig. 70; Cupp, 1943: p. 129, Fig. 82; Hendey, 1964: p. 127, Pl. IX: 5; Ricard, 1987: p. 205, 213, Figs. 465, 516; Throndsen et al., 2007: p. 171 .

Description:
Closely related to C. laciniosus, but, as in C. pelagicus, only one chromatophore per cell,pressed against one valve. Setae almost straight, not so far from apical plane. Terminal setae diverging in broad girdle view at angle of about 90° or more. Cells 8-17 µm broad. Resting spores similar to those of C. laciniosus, with dissimilarly arched valves, smooth or with fine spicules. Positive identification difficult (Cupp, 1943).

Dimensions:
Apical axis 20-22 µm; pervalvar axis 12-16 µm.

Distribution:
Neritic, warm-water species; south temperate to subtropical waters.

Sites of occurrence in RSA:
In Winter 2006 Cruise, this species occurred at various sites (refer sites map), usually in small numbers; however, it was quite abundant at some localities; maximum abundance (5.1*10^4 cells/l) was associated with the Iranian coast in the central part of the inner RSA (St. 27).