Small Navicula
Navicula minima
The Small Navicula (often classified as Eolimna minima) is a microscopic diatom from the order Naviculales. It possesses a characteristic siliceous shell (frustule) consisting of two halves. This species lives primarily on the bottom of water bodies or on aquatic plants and is an important component of the periphyton.
Details
Oxygen production
Produces oxygen as a byproduct of photosynthesis.
Habitat function
Colonizes surfaces and stabilizes biofilms.
Nutrient uptake
Absorbs nitrates and phosphates directly from the water.
Food source for
Grazers such as snails, insect larvae (e.g., mayfly larvae), and zooplankton.
Human use
Used in biological water monitoring to determine water quality.
Ecology
Ecological role
Primary producer in aquatic systems; forms the nutritional basis for many microorganisms.
Natural predators
Protozoa, rotifers, small crustaceans, and snails.
Competitor species
Other diatoms and green algae of the phytobenthos.
Ecosystem service
Oxygen production and carbon dioxide fixation in water bodies.
Threats
Extreme chemical pollution or massive herbicide exposure.
Scientific profile
Protection & threats
Main threats
Not threatened; the species benefits from eutrophication. Potential negative impacts only arise from extreme toxic pollution (e.g., herbicides) that damages the entire phytobenthos.