Biodiversity of silica-scaled chrysophytes in tributaries of northern limit of Lake Baikal

Complex algological and hydrochemical studies were performed in July 2017 at the mouths of Upper Angara and Kichera rivers, as well as three mouths of Angara-Kichera estuary - Dushkachanskoye, Srednee and Dagarskoye, which supply water to Lake Baikal. The species diversity of scaled chrysophytes was studied via scanning and transmission electron microscopy. A total of 31 species and intraspecific taxa were detected: Chrysosphaerella - 1; Paraphysomonas - 2; Spiniferomonas - 8; Mallomonas - 14; Synura - 6. As a result, the list of scaled chrysophyte species in the Baikal region was extended by 3 taxa and currently includes 76 species and intraspecific taxa, thus making its diversity of scaled chrysophytes the highest in the world.