Fragilaria capucina Desm. 1825
Length: 29

 Width: 4

Striae:15































Collection 1236

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Authority information

Desm., Plant. Crypt. Nord. France, 1st ed., Fasc. 10, No. 453. 1825 (Patrick and Reimer 1966).

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  • Ecology
    This species is considered benthic but is a successful facultative planktont with frustules forming bandlike colonies (Huber-Pestalozzi 1942). This species in commonly found in nearshore communities with some occasional populations in open water (Stoermer and Yang 1969). This species is often found in eutrophic waters and seems to respond to nutrient input into the Great Lakes (Stoermer and Yang 1969). In Lake Michigan populations, the greatest abundances have been found in polluted harbors with some populations immediately offshore (Stoermer and Yang 1970). In western Lake Erie, this species increased in number with an increase in pollution levels (Hohn 1969). In Green Bay, this species was dominant in spring collections at all stations and dominant in both spring and fall stations from the southern areas of the bay (Stoermer and Yang 1970). This species is common at all temperatures; however high absolute and relative abundances are correlated with high temperatures (Stoermer and Ladewski 1976).

    Size ranges and morphology

  • Length is 25-170 micrometers (Patrick and Reimer 1966).
  • Breadth is 2-5 micrometers (Patrick and Reimer 1966).
  • Striae range is14-18 per 10 micrometers (Patrick and Reimer 1966).
  • In the Great Lakes, the length of this species ranges from 15-80 micrometers. The valve breadth ranges from 2-5 micrometers and striae range from 14-18 in 10 micrometers (Stoermer and Yang 1969).