Abstract

TARAZONA DELGADO, Ronald; MONTOYA TERREROS, Haydee; MARIANO ASTOCONDOR, Mauro  and  MAYTA HUATUCO, Egma. Picocystis salinarum (Prasinophyceae, Chlorophyta) in Salinas de Chilca, Lima, first record for Peru. Arnaldoa [online]. 2017, vol.24, n.2, pp.557-566. ISSN 1815-8242.  http://dx.doi.org/10.22497/arnaldoa.242.24208.

The present work reports, for the first time for Peru and the South American region, the prasinophyte Picocystis salinarum R. A. Lewin in Salinas de Chilca (La Milagrosa and La Mellicera lagoons), Cañete, Lima. Collections of these coastal-shallow aquatic ecosystems were made in 2014 and 2015; the salinity gradient was in the range of 120 to 172 ‰ and pH between 8.06-8.41; in addition there are other records that would confirm that it is a euryhaline microalgae. The isolation and cultivation of P. salinarum in f/2 medium was key for its taxonomic identification, since this microalga exhibited polymorphism in nutrient deficit conditions with variation in its spherical morphotype to trilobed; the latter corresponding to the distinctive phenotype of the genus. P. salinarum was dominant in Salinas de Chilca, suggesting that it has mechanisms of resistance to saline stress, in addition to the shortage of competitors and herbivorous predators.

Keywords : picoplankton; prasinophyte; trilobed morphotype; culture.

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