First record of Neostreptotheca torta von Stosch f. triangularis von Stosch (Bacillariophyceae) from the southeastern Pacific

Phytoplankton samples collected in the southeastern Pacific off the coasts of Chile and Peru revealed the presence of Neostreptotheca torta f. triangu laris von Stosch (Bacillariophyceae). The principal morphological features of this rarely illustrated taxon were observed and recorded under light and electron microscopes. This is the first record of the species for the regi on, where it shows an apparent subtropical distribution, being carried sout hwards during an El Nino event. (C) 2000 Adac/Editions scientifiques et med icales Elsevier SAS.